


If You're Not Busy

by 420alo



Category: Teriah, The Young and the Restless
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Multi, Musicians, Recreational Drug Use, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:26:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 50,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/420alo/pseuds/420alo
Summary: Mariah meets Tessa during a trip to Europe.This fic deviates from Canon into AU around March 2017 when Mariah first started dating Devon but Tessa never came to town.  Chapter 1 picks up in late November 2017.  A lot of changes have happened for Mariah in the past 9 months and those changes will be referenced throughout the story but mostly in Chapter 2.  Some other Y&R characters will be referenced but won't appear in the fic initially.  Most of the characters in this fic are original, aside from Tessa and Mariah.
Relationships: Mariah Copeland/Tessa Porter
Comments: 72
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm aware the title of this fic is a bit cheesy and uninspired but it will be a recurring theme throughout the story. All songs and lyrics referenced will be by either Cait Fairbanks or ALO and I will list them in the Notes section of each chapter. You may also notice lines from the show used but coming from different characters than they did on the show.

"Wait a minute. Are you messing with me?" Mariah asked her mustached friend.

"I'm completely serious. We just confirmed everything with Jack yesterday. Seems like fate is on your side," Steve winked at his buddy before taking another sip of his coffee.

"This is amazing news! Are the dates and locations already set?" Mariah's eyes shone with excitement.

"Yep. Jenna received the schedule this morning. We kick things off in London on March 3rd. We're all really excited about our first European tour. It will be even better if you are able to make it to some of the shows. Your roomie here is even going to join us for our show in Amsterdam since she'll already be there for 'Jam in the Dam' that week," Steve indicated the petite brunette sitting next to him with a loving look.

"Mel, how long have you known this was in the works?" Mariah asked her roommate and best friend with an arch of her eyebrow.

"A couple of weeks. Sorry, I couldn't say anything until it was a done deal," Melissa replied with a sheepish grin.

"Don't be sorry, I totally get it. What I'm having trouble comprehending is how you were able to keep this news to yourself for so long?" Melissa wasn't known for being able to keep a secret, especially from Mariah. As it was, she knew way more about Steve and Melissa's relationship than she ever cared to.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy," Mel said with a laugh.

"I'm so incredibly happy for you and the rest of the band Steve. It's about time the world knows how awesome ALO is," Mariah's love for the band was clearly evident. "Any chance I could get my hands on that schedule? I wouldn't share the info with anyone, I just want to be able to work as many shows as possible into my European backpacking trip," Mariah's excitement level was on overload. When she had started planning her trip a month ago, concerts weren't even in the mix, let alone ones performed by her favorite band ever. What had started as a get away to explore and try to figure out what she wanted out of life career wise was looking more like the trip of a lifetime.

"Of course. We definitely want our biggest fans to come to as many of the shows as possible. I already spoke to Jenna about it and she is stoked. She said she'll put you on the guest list for any show you can make it to and will do her best to get you backstage passes as well. In fact, it's looking like quite a few of the ALO family is already going to be in Amsterdam for 'Jam in the Dam' so Jenna is looking into renting a space the band and the fam can stay in together there. Would you be interested in adding your name to that list?" Steve threw out the invitation with a sparkle in his eye.

"I'm sorry, was that an actual question!?! Because, if it was, my answer is Hell Yeah!" Mariah's smile couldn't be bigger.

"I thought that would be your response but wasn't sure how much of your travel itinerary was already set," Steve beamed at the redhead.

"Since it's still a few months out, I haven't booked anything yet so this is perfect timing. I've worked out what cities I definitely want to visit but the order and logistics planning has yet to begin. Of course, you both know Amsterdam is already number one on my list," Mariah winked at her friends.

"I can't imagine why," Melissa said, flashing her smoking buddy a knowing grin then laughing. Steve and Mariah quickly joined in on the laughter.

"I'm just about fully recovered from Xingolati so I will be ready for everything Amsterdam has to offer," Mariah said with a wistful smile as her mind wandered back to the wild four day party on a cruise ship they had all been at last month. It culminated with the three of them plus five other friends sitting at a table on the back deck of the ship that was piled high with all the weed they had left. The eight of them had put in a valiant effort to smoke it all before they got the all clear to leave the ship by customs. Despite their best efforts, some of it had to be left behind.

"Mariah? Mariah? You still with us?" Melissa asked while waving her hand in front of her friend's face.

"Huh? Sorry, was reminiscing," Mariah replied with a wink.

"Yeah, that was some trip, wasn't it?" Hopefully, Europe will be just as much fun," Melissa said with enthusiasm.

"That trip was epic in large part to the awesome lady in charge. It's hard to believe anything else could ever compare," Mariah praised her friend.

"Shucks Mariah, you're going to make me blush. I was just doing my job," Melissa replied with false modesty.

"Well, someone should tell your boss to give you a fucking raise then!" Mariah was emphatic with her response.

"I'm happy with the 'Jam in the Dam' tickets my boss gave me, no raise necessary. One of those tickets still isn't spoken for if you'd like it?" Melissa offered.

"Yes! It's happening near when ALO plays that city, correct?" Mariah's head was full of possibilities.

"That's right. ALO plays a few days after 'Jam in the Dam'. James, Tanner, Emily and I are looking to rent a houseboat together for the festival. You want in on that too?" Melissa's eyes lit up with hope, she would love it if Mariah stayed with them there. The two of them always had so much fun together.

"You know I do! Think Kay will be able to keep the peace at home while we are both gone?" Mariah shook her head with a laugh at the thought of their other roommate trying to keep their three cats from killing each other.

"Ha! I imagine Marley will seldom leave my room so as to lessen the harassment," Melissa chuckled picturing her skittish cat being chased around the house by her roommates' cats, Monkey and Dude.

"For sure. I know she could take my little Monkey down but Dude is huge. I'd be scared too if I was her, seeing him come charging at me," Mariah smiled thinking about her sweet Monkey who turned into a bully when he was around Dude. Boys!

"At least there hasn't been any bloodshed...yet," Melissa said ruefully. She glanced over at Steve as the alarm on his phone went off. "Time for you to get to Dan's for practice?" Mel asked her boyfriend.

"Yeah. You two have a great day. Mariah, I'll have Jenna send you the schedule and let her know to count you in for lodging in Amsterdam. See you later babe," Steve kissed his girlfriend goodbye and gave Mariah a wave.

"Bye Smootie," Mariah and Melissa said simultaneously before dissolving into laughter. Steve always blushed a little when he was called by his nickname. He quickly exited Crimson Lights before they could embarrass him further.

"Your guy is so adorable," Mariah smiled at Melissa. "I'm so happy the two of you found each other."

"Me too. I never would have guessed I would meet my dream guy and my best friend on the same night," Melissa grinned as she recalled that night. She instantly crushed on the cute bass player and took an immediate liking to his fiery red-headed friend. The two of them danced the night away as he played.

"Meeting you and connecting like we did was truly the icing on the cake of that night," Mariah raised her cup in a toast. "To all the great times we've had together and the great times still to come my friend."

"To us," Melissa clinked her cup with Mariah's. 

"So, now that Steve's gone, what other details about the tour can you share with me?" Mariah asked expectantly.

"Well, ALO is actually one of two opening acts for Jack. They'll both play every show but the order in which they play will switch up," Mel shared.

"Do you know who the other opener is? Have you heard any of their stuff?" Mariah inquired. Fingers crossed they were at least tolerable. She was already going to have to sit through Jack's music, which was fine but not her cup of tea.

"It's a singer/songwriter named Tessa Porter. I've heard a few of her songs and I liked them. I think you'll really enjoy her, she has an enthralling voice. Plays guitar and keys," Melissa relayed the info she had available.

"Hmm, sounds cool. I'll check out some of her music. That was Tessa Porter, right?" Mariah asked as she typed the name into her phone to look up later.


	2. Chapter 2

Mariah carefully arranged everything on the end table for ease of access, then stepped into the ball pit and sunk down until she was comfortably seated on the bottom.

Before picking up her glass of wine she took a moment to appreciate the brilliance of the ball pit idea she and Melissa had come up with on a particularly stony evening. They were at Melissa's parents' house smoking a joint in the yard when Mariah asked about the large empty tub in the corner. Melissa told her it was a Softub, which is basically a padded hot tub without seats, with a busted motor that would cost more to fix than it would to buy a new Softub. Her parents opted to get a fancy replacement hot tub and hadn't gotten around to having the old one disposed of. The two of them started tossing around ideas for a use it could have without a motor. Neither of them can recall which of them actually suggested filling it with the small brightly colored plastic balls one finds in indoor playground ball pits but it was the winning idea right away. It took a little doing but they were able to convince Kay that it would be a great feature to put in the backyard of the house they were renting. So here she sat relaxing in the hot tub turned ball pit next to the toasty patio heater listening to Tessa Porter's music after a long shift at Crimson Lights. Tessa's voice was hauntingly beautiful and Mariah had been hooked from the very first time she heard it. As she let Tessa's honeyed voice envelop her, she began reflecting on the last nine months.

So much had happened and changed for her in those nine months that it sometimes made her dizzy thinking about it. It could also be the wine making her dizzy but that's not important. In March, she started dating Devon Hamilton and while that only lasted a couple of months, he took her to a show one night that changed her life. It was April 24th to be exact, Mariah would never forget that date because it was the day she fell in love with ALO and all the other people who loved the band. She and Devon had arrived at the small club just as the opener was playing their last song. The energy in the venue was so positive that it was infectious. That night Mariah is pretty sure she met everyone there, including the bands and owners of the club. She danced more that night than she had in years. Devon joined her for a bit but he spent most of the show posted up at a table to the side of the stage. She had an instant connection with Kay, who is now one of her roommates. Kay had discovered ALO a few months earlier and fell in love with them at first sound. Mariah could totally relate since the same thing happened to her and seemingly all of the bands' fans. Devon's lukewarm reaction to the band and their fans was a contributing factor in Mariah breaking things off with him. She just couldn't see herself with a partner that didn't love ALO. Irrational? Maybe but it's how she felt so a couple of weeks after that show, she ended it with Devon. They are still good friends which Mariah is glad about because he is a really great guy and they do have fun together most of the time.

Over the next several months Mariah went to dozens of ALO shows with her new friends. Lucky for her, ALO was a local band that played a lot in smaller clubs in the greater Genoa City area. During this time is when she met her bestie and other current roommate, Melissa. She also started to question her job co-hosting GC Buzz, especially because Hilary was always putting out bad vibes and Mariah had come to embrace ALO's philosophy of pushing nothing but good vibes. By the end of August she had decided to quit her job and move out of Sharon's place. She didn't know what she wanted to do instead of co-hosting yet so she was very happy that Sharon said she could work at Crimson Lights while she figured it out. Her friend Melissa was over living with her parents and Kay had just broken up with the boyfriend she had been living with so the three of them decided to rent a place together. They found a great 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house with a huge yard for rent in a lively area and moved into it in September. Melissa was a little short on funds at the time so she comped Kay and Mariah passage on Xingolati in exchange for them covering her portion of the rental deposit. Best deal they ever made. That was an epic, once in a lifetime event. The music, the artistry, the people, the drugs, the good times. Just epic. Half the crew of that ship was shocked at what was going on and the other half wished every cruise was like that one.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, ALO put out a request to the fam. They were finishing up a US tour in San Francisco and wanted to get back home in time to celebrate the holiday with their families but had an RV full of their equipment that needed to be driven back home as well. If they drove themselves, it was unlikely they would get back in time. They offered to fly someone out to San Francisco for their last show if that person would drive the RV back for them. Mariah volunteered without hesitation even though she had never driven a vehicle that size or taken a road trip that long. She was so glad she did, it was a great experience all around and she even made it back home just in time to help Sharon serve Thanksgiving dinner at Crimson Lights. 

So now it's been a couple months since her home and work situations had changed and she's no closer to figuring out what she wants to do for a living moving forward. That's why she decided to go to Europe for six weeks. She was hoping a change of scenery, cultures and languages might help her figure it out. It also seemed like a good time for it. She had some money saved from not paying rent while living with Sharon for so long. Sharon had coverage at work for her to take time off. And, most importantly of all, her friend Kay would take care of Monkey while Mariah was away. She decided to go this spring, March through mid April.

Finding out ALO would be playing shows there at the same time as her trip was almost unbelievable. And now she was also going to get to see some of her friends while traveling. Her excitement for this trip was growing exponentially. She had never been overseas before so she knew she might encounter some challenges but she felt up for it. She'd even decided to play some of her trip by ear and do the whole backpacking/Eurail thing, which was way outside of her comfort zone.

_Give me somewhere to go, give me someone to be_

Tessa's lyrics pulled Mariah from her musings. Well, she had the somewhere to go so now she just needed to work on the someone to be. She grabbed her tablet to work on planning her trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics are from 'If You're Not Busy' by Cait Fairbanks


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Describing clothing is not my forte so the outfit Mariah wears to the concert in this chapter is the one she wore on the August 18th episode of the show when she met up with Kyle at Society. The outfit Tessa is wearing is the one she had on when Theo hit on her on the show.
> 
> Songs mentioned in this chapter are 'Something In You' and 'Love Me', both by Cait Fairbanks.

After one last hearty bong rip, Mariah shut the front door and hopped into Melissa's car. Melissa laughed as she looked over at her super high friend.

"I hope you aren't too high to navigate your way to the plane," Melissa teased Mariah knowing full well she wouldn't have any problems.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Mariah replied with a wink. They both dissolved into laughter as Melissa backed out of the driveway and headed toward the airport.

"So, you're going to meet me at the airport in Amsterdam when my flight arrives, right?" Melissa would rather not have to navigate her way to the houseboat after a long flight. Since Mariah would be arriving the day before, Melissa figured she'd be able to get her there easily.

"Definitely. And, I'll have a joint at the ready for you. I'll do my best to restrain myself from overindulging when I arrive, don't want to sleep through your flight arrival." Mariah's first three weeks in Europe would be spent in countries that didn't tolerate weed so she expected to go without until she arrived in Amsterdam.

"I promise you and I will overindulge together the night I arrive," Melissa said as she pulled up outside of the airport terminal and began the slow crawl to the airline Mariah was flying on.

"Deal. Oh, and the party favors are in my wallet so provided the TSA doesn't find them, we'll all have an extra fun time at the festival."

"Good luck and safe travels. I love you," Melissa gave her friend a big hug after stopping the car near Mariah's airline.

"I love you too. See you in a few weeks," Mariah smiled big as she got out of the car and grabbed her backpack out of the trunk. With a wave good-bye, she headed inside the airport.

************************************************************

By the time her plane landed at Heathrow airport in the UK, Mariah was more than ready to be off the plane. Eleven hours crammed into a tin can with a bunch of strangers was not her idea of a good time. She grabbed her bag and caught a cab to her hotel. Once she was in her room, she sent her friends Tanner and Emily a message with her room number. They were going to come by for her and go onto the show together. Mariah had just settled into a hot bath when there was a knock at the door. Shit, were they here already!? She got out, wrapped a towel around herself and answered the door. Her friends came bursting into the room with wine and weed.

"Catch you at a bad time Mar?" Emily asked, taking in her friends attire or lack thereof in this case.

"Cop a squat on the bed and catch me up on your travels so far. I'm going to finish my bath while you do if neither of you minds. I need to wash that plane ride off of me before the show," Mariah gestured toward the bed in the tiny hotel room.

Mariah sunk back into the tub and pushed the bathroom door open so she could see Tanner and Emily.

"Should I pour you a glass?" Emily asked Mariah as she reached for the plastic cups provided by the hotel and held up the bottle in her hand.

"A large glass please and how much longer til you spark up that joint Tanner?" Mariah really needed to take the edge off and a hit would accomplish that in the quickest amount of time.

"On it boss," Tanner joked flashing her a toothy grin. He whipped a lighter out of his pocket and lit the joint. After taking a puff, he handed it to Emily who brought it to Mariah.

"Thank you so much," Mariah said while accepting it. She took a couple of puffs and handed it back. Emily gave her a glass of wine then joined Tanner on the bed. The couple regaled Mariah with stories from their time in Ireland while she soaked.

Relaxed and dressed in form fitting black jeans and a dark blue off the shoulder top, Mariah made her face and hair presentable while Tanner pulled up the walking directions to the venue and Emily tidied up from their pre-party.

A brisk twenty minute walk later they arrived at the Hammersmith Apollo. They hopped into the guest list line then headed inside. Mariah spotted ALO's drummer, Dave, as soon as the trio entered the lobby. "Brogan," she called out to him, headed in his direction.

The group exchanged hugs and hellos. "You excited for your first show abroad?" Mariah asked Dave. She wasn't as close to Dave as she was with the rest of the band but they often ended up chatting at shows before they started and at set breaks.

"Very much so," Dave's whole face lit up as he smiled. "This is my first time seeing Europe and I'm getting paid to do so. You really can't ask for more."

"Yeah, sure sounds like a sweet gig to me," Mariah said as she spied a wall clock behind Dave and noticed it was close to showtime. "Is ALO playing first tonight or is it Tessa Porter?" she didn't want to keep him if he needed to head backstage.

"Tessa's up first tonight. Have you heard her sing before? Her voice is captivating. She's also a lot of fun to hang out with," Dave's smile reached his eyes as he spoke.

"Am I sensing a romantic interest in her on your part?" Mariah arched her eyebrow and winked at Dave.

Dave laughed loudly at Mariah's inquiry. "Just an interest as a friend and fellow musician. Besides, I am definitely not her type," Dave said with absolute certainty.

"Ouch! You hit on her and she shot you down?" Mariah guessed. The whole group laughed at this because Dave was a bit of a player.

"Nope. I didn't get a chance to hit on her before finding out the endeavor would have been pointless," Dave shrugged his shoulders and adopted a faux hurt expression.

"She's got a boyfriend?" Tanner surmised.

"Definitely not," Dave replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Facial hair is a no go?" Emily figured this was a good guess because Dave would never shave his beard.

"Hmmm. Not really sure about that but she likely isn't into beards," Dave was really enjoying being cagey with his friends on this subject. The chance any of them would get this on their own seemed low.

"She doesn't date other musicians?" Mariah's curiosity was piqued due to Dave's elusiveness. Dave shook his head no. Mariah glanced at the clock again, "She's about to take the stage so just tell us already Dave."

"She's a lesbian," Dave finally clued them in with a chuckle. "I'm going in to catch some of her set before I have to join the guys backstage. Y'all coming or not?" Dave didn't wait for answers, just opened the door and walked into the performance space.

"You coming Mariah?" Tanner waved a hand in front of his friend's stunned face.

"Uh, huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Mariah snapped out of it and followed the others inside.

Dave was posted up by the soundboard at the back of the venue. Usually this is also where Mariah would be at a show to enjoy the best sound. As she headed that way she couldn't help but notice how sparsely populated the front of the venue was which made her feel bad for Tessa. A lot of times opening acts were bypassed by concert goers. Mariah told Emily she was going to go up front for Tessa's set to show support for the musician. Emily decided to join Mariah and left Tanner with Dave.

Mariah and Emily arrived up front, center stage, just as the house lights went down signaling the show was about to begin. Tessa walked on stage to a light smattering of applause, Emily and Mariah clapping the loudest. The stage lights came on right as Tessa stepped up to the mic and that's when Mariah temporarily forgot how to breathe. Tessa was stunning and her outfit only enhanced that. She was wearing a bright red wrap around dress that hugged her lean body with a tight black belt. Tessa smiled radiantly as she greeted the audience and thanked them for coming out. Mariah remembered how to breathe again when Tessa looked down to grab her guitar from the stand. As Tessa played the opening notes of 'Something In You', Mariah closed her eyes momentarily and smiled. When she opened them again she was startled to see that Tessa was looking directly at her while she sang. She could feel her face flushing red. Mariah usually didn't enjoy being noticed but for some reason she was enjoying Tessa's attention. She boldly returned Tessa's stare causing the musician's lips to turn up in a sensual smile.

Emily nudged Mariah when the song ended and whispered in her ear, "I think I have a good idea what Tessa's type is now. She was for sure checking you out."

"What? No. If anything, she was checking you out," Mariah laughed nervously as she regarded the petite blond standing next to her.

Emily laughed so hard she snorted, "Please, she didn't even see me. Look now if you want proof."

Tessa had just started playing 'Love Me' when Emily said this to Mariah. Mariah looked away from Emily back to the stage and locked eyes with Tessa who was once again singing directly to her. Mariah's throat was suddenly very dry. She tapped Emily and asked for a sip of her beer. Emily handed the cup to Mariah taking note of how flushed her face was and how rapidly she was breathing. Is it possible Mariah is interested in Tessa? she wondered. As far as she knew Mariah identified as straight and had only ever dated guys but this didn't exclude the possibility.

After a deep sip of Emily's beer, Mariah handed it back with a whispered thank you. She attempted to steel herself before looking back at Tessa but the effort was futile as she was easily drawn back into Tessa's tractor beam like gaze. Mariah was so lost in Tessa's eyes she didn't notice Tanner had joined them up front until he gently bumped her with his hip. She looked over at him and smiled. He handed her a bottle of water which she gratefully accepted. Tanner leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Enjoying yourself? She's really hot, isn't she?"

Mariah motioned for him to turn his head so she could tell him something. "Don't let Emily hear you say that."

"Emily's the one who told me to say that to you," Tanner laughed softly into her ear. "She thinks you have a crush on Tessa."

"That's absurd, I'm not into women like that," Mariah protested.

"Okay, whatever you say," Tanner held his hands up in defeat deciding to stop teasing Mariah. For now.


	4. Chapter 4

"Thank you all so much. It's been a pleasure to play for you tonight. Is everyone ready for ALO next?" Tessa did her best to amp up the crowd after she finished her set. The crowd cheered loudly while still clapping for her. And the super sexy redhead dead center seemed to be clapping and cheering the loudest of all. Tessa's smile widened and she winked at her. The redhead smiled shyly and ducked her head to try and hide her reddened cheeks. "And after that, Jack Johnson will take the stage." Another cheer from the crowd except, curiously, the redhead who was saying something to her friends. Tessa waved to the audience and walked off the stage. She headed back to her dressing room, freshened up a bit, grabbed a water and made her way downstairs to the venue floor. The floor had filled up a lot since she took the stage. She paused for a moment, imagining the day a crowd this size would be gathered for her. Tessa scanned the room for the redhead but couldn't spot her. Hoping she was still in the same spot she was in for her set, Tessa started making her way through the crowd toward the front center of the stage. A couple of people recognized her along the way and told her they enjoyed her set. She thanked them and continued on her journey. The guys from ALO took the stage, the crowd's energy rose and a hearty cheer erupted. Wow! ALO's fans really love them, Tessa thought to herself. And then, she saw her. Well, she saw the back of her head anyway. Tessa was able to squeeze in next to the redhead's blond friend and was formulating a plan to put herself right next to the redhead when the blond noticed her. She smiled at Tessa and indicated they should switch places. Tessa wasn't sure what was going on until the blond nodded her head in the redhead's direction. Catching on, Tessa mouthed 'Thank you' and switched places with her. Now Tessa was next to the blond's boyfriend and it didn't take long for him to notice her. He smiled then looked over at the redhead whose head was turned away while she spoke with someone on the other side of her. The tall man turned back to Tessa and motioned for them to switch places. Tessa mouthed another 'Thank you' and swapped places with him. She was directly to the right of the redhead at this point but the shorter woman was still turned away from her. Ten seconds later the redhead turned Tessa's way and her eyes widened when she saw who was standing next to her. Tessa leaned down to speak to the redhead. "Hi. I'm Tessa," Tessa introduced herself with a grin. "Uh, hi Tessa. Nice to meet you," the flustered redhead started. "I'm Mariah," she finished introducing herself with a grin of her own.

"It's very nice to meet you Mariah," Tessa extended her hand and Mariah shook it gently. Tessa felt an electric shock when Mariah's hand touched her own.

"You were great up there tonight. I really love your music," Mariah nodded to the stage as she spoke.

"Thank you, that means a lot. Watching you enjoy my music made playing even more enjoyable for me," Tessa flirted with Mariah a little.

"It sounds like we both enjoyed ourselves," Mariah hadn't intended for that to sound as flirty as it did but it was out there now. She hoped she hadn't taken things too far.

"Immensely on my end," Tessa replied with a sexy purr. 

Mariah gulped audibly. Nope, not too far but now she was afraid she was in over her head. She had never really been good at flirting and she had certainly never flirted with a woman before. To her great relief, the guys started playing their first song at that exact moment, so she was granted a temporary reprieve as the crowd cheered. Mariah loved when they opened with 'I Love Music' and she absolutely couldn't not dance to this song. She started moving when the rhythm kicked in. She looked over to see that Tessa was also dancing and admiring Zach's grace on the keys. Mariah took advantage of Tessa being distracted to take in the dark haired woman's beauty up close. Distracted herself by drinking in Tessa's delicate features, she didn't realize Tessa was turning her way until it was too late. She was caught staring. Instead of calling her out on it, Tessa simply moved to face Mariah and began dancing with her instead of next to her. Surprisingly, this move put Mariah at ease. The two women danced happily with each other through the first three upbeat songs. They both stopped dancing when 'All Alone' ended and things got a little awkward as the band played the opening notes of 'Girl' but Tessa ended that awkwardness as the bass dropped and she drew Mariah into her arms to dance to the slow song.

Mariah's entire body felt like it was on fire when Tessa pulled their bodies together. She felt suddenly emboldened to sing the song to Tessa as it played.

_Come over, early in the morning  
I'm like a heat wave, without warning  
And when I touch you, my heart begins to flutter  
Cause you're smooth and creamy, like peanut butter_

_Girl I wanna lay you down  
Girl I wanna lay you down_

_I'm gonna flood you, like a love river  
Ah baby the postman, is about to deliver  
I'll cook you up some dinner, a little pasta  
I'll listen to some music, a little rasta_

_Girl I wanna lay you down  
Girl I wanna lay you down ___

Tessa's eyes darkened with lust as Mariah sang the sexual lyrics to her while staring deep into her eyes. She pulled Mariah's body tighter against her own and felt the shorter woman melt into her further. By the time Mariah finished the second chorus, Tessa was fully consumed with the need to kiss her. She raised her left hand from Mariah's hip to her right cheek and gently cupped her face. Mariah's gaze lowered from Tessa's eyes to her mouth. Tessa unconsciously darted her tongue out to wet her lips when Mariah looked at them. Tessa couldn't be sure because of the music but she thought she heard Mariah moan when she licked her lips. Mariah's lips parted slightly in anticipation of what was about to happen. Tessa leaned down and gently pressed her lips to Mariah's. Mariah moaned when Tessa's lips met her own and this time Tessa both heard and felt the moan. Taking Mariah's response to the kiss as an indication that she enjoyed it, Tessa kissed her again. Mariah parted her lips as an invitation for Tessa to slide her tongue in. Tessa eagerly accepted the invitation and let her tongue tangle with Mariah's. Mariah slid her hands from Tessa's hips to the top of her firm backside. Tessa was running her hands up and down Mariah's sides at an erotically slow pace, driving the redhead mad. Soon the two women were fully making out, oblivious to the concert happening around them.

"Ahem," Tanner said with a cough. Tessa and Mariah pulled apart and looked at Tanner with dazed looks.

"Hey Tanner. What's up?" Mariah managed to get those few words out despite her addled state of mind.

"Just wanted you to know that people were staring at the two of you. And, by people, I mean the band," Tanner gestured toward the stage.

Mariah looked toward the stage and was mortified to see Dave, Zach, Steve and Dan all looking at her with goofy ass smiles on their faces as they eased into 'Suspended'. She mouthed 'Sorry' to them and they all laughed delightedly.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you in front of your friends," Tessa said sincerely while tucking a stray lock of Mariah's hair behind her ear. "I just couldn't help myself with you being so sexy."

"Don't be sorry, I really enjoyed kissing you. I think we both just got a little carried away given where we are," Mariah caught Tessa's hand before she could pull it away from her and placed a gentle kiss on her palm. "As far as being embarrassed in front of my friends, there are many stories I could tell you about times they've all embarrassed themselves in front of me so I'm not too concerned about them teasing me mercilessly for my lack of self control around the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

They managed to keep their hands and lips to themselves for the rest of ALO's set. Mostly. Once the applause had died down when the set ended, Steve walked to the edge of the stage and knelt down near Mariah. He motioned for her to come closer. "Come backstage and smoke a j with us?" Steve asked. "Bring Tanner, Emily and Tessa with you," he added and handed her three backstage lanyards.

"Thanks Steve. See you in a few," Mariah accepted the lanyards and Steve walked off stage.

"Tessa, these are my friends Tanner and Emily," Mariah was able to make introductions now that the set was over. Hugs were exchanged and Tessa thanked the couple for their assist earlier. "Steve invited all of us to join him and the rest of the band backstage for a smoke break," Mariah relayed the info as she handed Tanner and Emily their backstage passes. "Shall we?" Mariah reached for Tessa's hand as she asked the question.

"Of course," Tanner and Emily replied in unison before exchanging a brief kiss.

Tessa laced her fingers with Mariah's. "I'll lead the way," she said to the others. Tanner and Emily followed Tessa and Mariah up the back stairs. They showed their passes to the worker at the top of the staircase and headed down a long hallway. Tessa brought them to a closed door with a sign marking it as ALO's dressing room taped to it. She knocked and someone yelled for them to come in. Tessa opened the door for the others and shut it behind her when they were all inside.

Tanner and Emily joined Dave and Zach on one couch. Steve moved from the other couch to a chair so Tessa and Mariah could join Dan and Jenna on it.

"I'm so happy to see you Mariah," Jenna, the band's manager and Dan's wife, exclaimed as she enveloped the redhead in her arms joyfully. "Are you enjoying yourself so far?" she asked after pulling out of the hug.

"Most definitely," Steve cheekily answered for Mariah.

Jenna looked at Steve quizzically. "Am I missing something?" she looked back at Mariah.

"Steve's giving me a hard time because of something that happened earlier," Mariah shot Steve a withering glare that he pretended not to see.

"Is someone going to clue me in on what happened?" Jenna looked around the room to see knowing smiles on most everyone.

"Got you covered Jenna," Tanner said as he passed her his phone. "Just hit play."

"You didn't!" Mariah turned to Tanner and could tell by the look on his face that he had. Before she could tell Jenna not to, Jenna hit play and watched a video clip of Mariah and Tessa making out on the dance floor.

"So, looks like you and Tessa really hit it off," Jenna smiled at Mariah and handed her Tanner's phone.

"Thanks Jenna," Mariah promptly deleted the video from Tanner's phone. "So, where's that joint Steve?" Mariah attempted to shift the conversation away from her and the sultry singer sitting by her side.

"Right here," Steve pulled a fat joint out of his shirt pocket and grabbed a lighter from a nearby table. "Don't think we are done with this topic though. It shall be revisited," Steve promised this to his friend.

"I'm sure it will be but could it not be now please," Mariah pleaded with Steve to let it go for the moment.

"As you wish," Steve acquiesced. He sparked the j, took a hit and passed it to Mariah. She gratefully accepted it, took her own hit and offered it to Tessa who passed it to Zach without hitting it.

"Oh, sorry, do you not smoke weed?" Mariah always tried to be respectful around people who didn't smoke if she could.

"No, I do but not when I have shows coming up. Trying to keep the pipes functioning properly," Tessa put her hand on Mariah's leg as she spoke.

Mariah felt like her skin had been seared off where Tessa was touching her. She had never felt such raw passion for another person before. It was a bit unnerving but also exhilarating. She put her hand over Tessa's and rubbed lazy circles on it with her thumb. This did not go unnoticed by the others in the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs mentioned : I Love Music, All Alone, Suspended and Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down all by ALO
> 
> Lyrics are from 'Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down' by ALO


	5. Chapter 5

Mariah headed downstairs with Tessa, Dave, Steve, Tanner and Emily about twenty minutes before Jack was to take the stage. The group made their way to the soundboard and greeted the guys working it. Soon after, concert goers started coming over to talk to Dave and Steve. Tessa also had a few people come to her for pictures and autographs. Mariah, Tanner and Emily stepped aside to give the fans access to the musicians.

"So, you and Tessa huh?" It wasn't really a question but Tanner wanted to delve deeper into what his friend was feeling.

"Yeah. I certainly wasn't expecting anything like this to happen," Mariah said thoughtfully. "The fact that I just jumped right in without hesitation really caught me by surprise. From the moment she took the stage, I've felt inexplicably drawn to her. And holy shit, when she kissed me, everything around us faded away. That's never happened with anyone else I've kissed," Mariah was very candid with her words because she knew Tanner and Emily would never judge her. Tease her? Yes. But not judge her.

"Have you been attracted to other women before?" Emily asked.

"No, just her. I'm not sure how to explain it but it's like the fact that she's a woman doesn't factor into my attraction to her yet I'm very much attracted to all her womanliness. That probably makes zero sense to you but it's the best I can come up with at this time," Mariah tried to convey her thoughts on the subject but she was still processing everything that had happened in the last couple of hours so things were still fluid.

"Well, whatever the case, I'm happy for you. A little romance and, dare I say, sex during your trip will only add to your good time," Emily winked at Mariah when she said sex.

"Emily! What kind of girl do you think I am? Hooking up with a virtual stranger. Wherever would you get that idea from?" Mariah tried using a southern accent when she spoke but failed miserably.

"Hmmm. I think I got the idea from you through your words and actions. Do I need to remind you about what went down for a month after you ended things with Devon?" Emily ribbed her friend good-naturedly.

"Nope, no need," Mariah quickly replied. She hadn't forgotten the string of guys she hooked up with during that time or the fact that not one of them was able to get her off. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out. She saw there was a new message from Melissa and opened it up. "Dammit Tanner!" Mariah socked her friend in the arm. "Who else besides Melissa did you send the video to?"

"Ow," Tanner rubbed his arm where Mariah had hit him, pretending it actually hurt. "Just everyone in my contacts," he replied with a proud smile.

"What the fuck Tanner?!" Mariah raised her arm to take another swing at him but he caught her hand before it could make contact.

"Relax," Tanner said with a laugh. "I only sent it to Melissa."

Before Mariah could lay into Tanner more she felt long, supple arms slip around her middle from behind as Tessa pulled her into an embrace.

"What did I miss?" Tessa asked before planting a kiss on Mariah's exposed shoulder.

"Not much. I was just about to let Tanner know that I will repay the favor when he least expects it," Mariah looked Tanner directly in the eyes while making the threat.

"What did he do now? Did you find another video of us on his phone?" Tessa laughed softly. Tanner seemed like he was fun but also like he was a handful.

"No, but I should check it to see who else he might have sent it to," Mariah responded.

"Oh God, who did he send it to?" Tessa hoped it wasn't someone that would be upset with Mariah about it.

"My best friend Melissa and I would have liked to have been the one to tell her about you," Mariah put her hands over Tessa's and squeezed lightly. The level of enjoyment she was experiencing from Tessa's displays of affection was completely foreign to her but she refused to let herself overthink it and was instead going to revel in it.

"Been a while since you made out with someone you just met at a concert?" Tessa asked the gorgeous woman in her arms. She couldn't imagine it was from lack of offers, who wouldn't want to make out with Mariah? She was so damned kissable.

"Yes, actually. But it's also the first time I've ever made out with a woman," Mariah admitted to the taller woman. She felt Tessa tense up a bit when she revealed this. Mariah pulled out of Tessa's embrace and turned to face her. "Is everything okay? Did I say something to upset you?" Mariah held Tessa's hands when she asked.

"No but could I speak to you privately for a minute?" Tessa implored.

"Of course. I'll find the two of you later," Mariah told Tanner and Emily before leading Tessa away to a secluded area in the back. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Mariah asked apprehensively.

"Am I really the first woman you've ever kissed?" Tessa asked as she searched Mariah's eyes.

"Technically, no. I kissed my half brother's half sister once but it was only a thank you kiss." Seeing Tessa's eyes widen she quickly interjected, "She and I aren't related at all."

"That's a relief," Tessa said with a chuckle. "But I am the first woman you've made out with?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Mariah didn't know if there were different rules for kissing women versus kissing men. Was her inexperience something she should have disclosed before they kissed?

"No, it's not a problem at all," Tessa quickly reassured Mariah while reaching out to hold her hands. "I do want to make sure you feel comfortable with everything we've done so far and aren't feeling pressured by me," Tessa stated sincerely.

Mariah stepped closer to Tessa before speaking. "To be completely honest I'm not usually big on PDAs but with you it feels different. I feel different. I'm also a notorious overthinker. From the moment you introduced yourself, I decided to not get in my head and just go with what I felt. And what I felt when we kissed was the world slip away leaving just the two of us. When you touch me, my body feels like it's on fire. When you look at me, it feels like you're looking directly into my soul. I'm not feeling pressured by you at all and have enjoyed every moment we've spent together. Now, having said all that, are you uncomfortable now?" Mariah looked into Tessa's eyes anxiously. She really hoped she hadn't just thrown cold water on the flames they had created earlier.

"Wow. Are you always this open and honest about your feelings with people you've just met?" Tessa wasn't really sure how to respond to Mariah. She wasn't really a relationship kind of person and the few she had been in were polyamorous. Tessa had always been kind of a loner and preferred casual random hookups that usually only lasted one night. But with Mariah, she already felt different. From the instant she laid eyes on her, smiling with her eyes closed taking in the opening chords of 'Something In You', Tessa was mesmerized by the redhead. And sweet Jesus, when they kissed, Tessa also felt the world slip away.

"No, never actually. I had a strange upbringing and talking about feelings was highly discouraged. A few years ago, I found my birth mother who encourages me to express myself but it still feels weird to do so until I really get to know someone. Except, apparently, with you. I've made you uncomfortable with my oversharing, haven't I? I'll understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore," Mariah tried not to let the sadness she felt creep into her voice as she gave Tessa an out.

"Mariah," Tessa started to speak but then paused to search for the right words. Mariah let go of Tessa's hands and started to turn away from her. Tessa reached out to reclaim one of Mariah's hands and brought them face to face again. "Please don't go," Tessa said in earnest. She pulled Mariah closer and kissed her softly but with passion. Mariah relaxed in Tessa's arms and deepened the kiss. Sooner than she would have liked, Tessa ended the kiss because she didn't trust herself to keep things PG-13 with Mariah even in a room full of people.

"Mariah, I like you a lot. And by that I mean I am enjoying hanging out with you. But I am also extremely attracted to you and I'm having trouble controlling myself around you. I've never wanted someone this much before. If that's too much for you and you don't want this to go any further, I would understand. I'd be sad but we'd still be cool as friends. What happens next is up to you," Tessa made a point to be as honest as possible with Mariah.

"Tessa, I like you a lot too. And I really, really want you and if I weren't in a country where I don't know the punishment for being caught having sex in a bathroom at a concert venue, I would ask you to go to the bathroom with me right now," Mariah said as she slowly ran her finger under Tessa's belt.

"You know, I have my own dressing room backstage," Tessa said as a joke. If she had been flirting with any other random concert goer, it would not have been a joke.

"Should we go now or wait until Jack starts playing?" Mariah was a little nervous this was happening so fast but she knew she wanted to sleep with Tessa.

"Well, that's a juicy tidbit to file away for later use but no, I will not allow your first time with a woman to happen on a tiny couch in a tiny room," Tessa wouldn't stand for that on her watch. Mariah was the kind of woman to make love to all night without possible interruption.

"My hotel room is tiny with a tiny bed so not much difference," Mariah's horny side was speaking for her now.

"As tempting as that is, my hotel room is decently sized with a large bed and a quickie in my dressing room isn't going to cut it for me. I have plans for you that span hours." Tessa also had some items in her hotel room she would love to enjoy with Mariah.

"We can leave early unless you need to stick around." Ditching out on Jack's set wasn't really a sacrifice for Mariah.

"I don't have to but there is an after party backstage that I should make an appearance at," Tessa thought it might be bad form to skip the after party for the first show of the overseas tour.

"Cool but bummer. If I have to wait, I need you to do me a favor," Mariah said seriously.

"Name it," Tessa was all ears.

"Stop being so fucking sexy," Mariah kissed Tessa quickly and left her standing there to go join Tanner and Emily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song mentioned is 'Something In You' by Cait Fairbanks


	6. Chapter 6

After Jack played his last song of the evening, the foursome headed backstage for the after party. All the guys from ALO were there already except Zach who was pulling double duty playing keys in Jack's band. Mariah didn't know any of the other people there. "Hey Tessa, would it be okay if we stash our jackets in your dressing room?" Mariah asked the woman standing next to her. 

"Sure. Give them to me and I'll drop them off real quick," Tessa held her hands out for the jackets.

Mariah quickly grabbed Tanner and Emily's jackets from their hands. "I'll come with you. We'll be back in a bit guys," Mariah wanted a few minutes alone with Tessa in the worst way.

"Okay. It's this way," Tessa took the garments from Mariah's hands and led her down a hallway off to the right. Tessa opened the door to her dressing room when they arrived and motioned for Mariah to follow her in. She walked to the couch to lay the jackets over one of the arms. She heard the door shut behind her and turned around to find Mariah right in front of her. She barely had time to register the hungry look in Mariah's eyes before the redhead's lips were on her own. She felt the tip of Mariah's tongue on her lips, silently imploring her to part them.

Mariah deepened the kiss when Tessa allowed her entry. She slowly maneuvered the taller woman down onto the couch and straddled her lap. Mariah slowly ran her hand up Tessa's side then gently cupped her breast. She teased Tessa's nipple erect, slowly circling it with her thumb.

Tessa moaned and arched her back at Mariah's touch as wetness began pooling in her nether region. She needed to dial this back or she was going to take Mariah here and now. Pulling back from their kiss, she took several deep breaths to steady herself before speaking. "Mariah, we need to put on the brakes before this goes too far. I find it hard to think rationally when you touch me," Tessa admitted while gazing into Mariah's lust filled eyes. 

"I know you're right but I just want you so much it's hard to be sensible," Mariah ran her finger along Tessa's skin, tracing the 'V' of her dress from her neck to the valley between her breasts and back up to her neck as she spoke.

Tessa moved her hand to still Mariah's and brought it to her lips for a soft kiss. "Let's look at it this way, the sooner we get out there and do some mingling, the sooner we will get to my hotel room," Tessa hoped she was selling this to Mariah because her resolve was slipping.

"Okay," Mariah relied sullenly and reluctantly eased herself off of Tessa's lap. She held her hand out to Tessa to help her up. "I will try to behave myself until we get to your room. But at that point, all bets are off," Mariah said saucily.

"Deal," Tessa gave Mariah a quick peck on the cheek, took her hand and led them out of the room.

They headed down the hallway toward the party and saw a very familiar looking man coming their way. He smiled at them as they got closer. "Good evening ladies. Have a lovely night," the man nodded his head to them both as he spoke.

"Thank you, You do the same," Tessa responded for them both because Mariah was starstruck.

"I can assure you I will," the man replied with a wink then he continued past them on his way to the back exit.

Once the man was out of earshot, Mariah turned to Tessa. "Was that Woody Harrelson?!" she asked incredulously.

"I believe so," Tessa answered. "Are you regretting our time in my dressing room now that you know you may have missed out on hanging out with a famous actor?" Tessa herself had no regrets, not even a single letter.

"Absolutely not. As cool as that might have been, I wouldn't trade one second of our time together for it," Mariah's sincerity and veiled lust radiated from her eyes.

"Same," Tessa said simply before leaning down to plant a tender kiss on Mariah's lips. "Shall we?" she nodded her head in the direction of the party after pulling away from Mariah.

"Yes," Mariah replied while staring dreamily into Tessa's eyes.

"Let's do this," Tessa laced her fingers with Mariah's when she reclaimed her hand.

There were at least twice as many people at the party when they returned than were there when they left. Tanner spotted the duo and waved them over to the group he was standing with. They joined him, Emily, Zach and Dan.

"Did you guys get lost? You've been gone a while," Tanner smiled at them mischievously.

Mariah's face reddened slightly at Tanner's comment so Tessa swooped in to divert attention away from their prolonged absence. "Hey, was Woody Harrelson just here? We swear he passed us in the hallway," Tessa hoped the others would pick up this new topic and run with it.

"Yeah, he was," Dan answered Tessa's question. "We chatted with him for a few minutes. He seems like a real nice guy. Did the two of you get a chance to talk to him?"

"Not really, just pleasantries as we passed by each other. He was on his way out so we didn't want to keep him," Tessa smiled at Mariah when the shorter woman squeezed her hand gratefully.

"He just stopped by for a bit to say hi to Jack before heading off to some fancy party with other famous people," Zach chimed in.

"Must be rough to be in such demand," Mariah joked.

"Must be," Emily concurred. "I'm happy to not be in demand so I can fully enjoy myself."

"Agreed," Mariah could have smacked herself as soon as she spoke. Why the hell did I say that? She knew she left herself wide open for more teasing with her response to Emily's statement. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized Tanner was going to let it slide.

"Speaking of enjoying ourselves, I'm going to hit the bar. Can I get anything for anyone else?" Tanner smiled affably at his friends.

"I could go for another beer. Thanks Tanner," Zach indicated the empty bottle in his hand.

"Same for me please," Dan added.

"I'll take a water thanks," Tessa told Tanner. "What about you Mariah?" she asked her soon to be lover.

"A water for me too Tanner. Thank you," Mariah made her request as she hugged Tessa to her side.

"Got it, be right back. Em, you mind coming with me to help carry the drinks?" Tanner asked his girlfriend.

"Of course," Emily replied before walking away with Tanner.

"I really enjoyed when you joined Jack for a couple of songs tonight Dan. Are you going to sit in with him at every show of the tour?" Mariah asked hopefully. The addition of Zach on keys and accordion certainly improved Jack's music in her opinion but having Dan join in as well made the set even better.

"Thanks Mariah. Yes, I will be sitting in for at least one song every night. I may even play the bongos at one of the shows you come to," Dan knew how much Mariah loved when he played the bongos.

"Do not tease me like that Dan. You know I'll never forgive you if you don't play them," Mariah was only half joking as she smiled brightly.

"Then I guess I will have to make it happen. I wouldn't want to disappoint you," Dan winked at the likable redhead he had come to care for very much. She put off great energy and had done so since the first night they met. Her smile made others around her smile too and the wattage of that smile had tripled in Tessa's presence. He was happy for her and hoped the two of them would make the most of their time together. They sure didn't seem to wasting any of that time so far and their chemistry together was off the charts.

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" Mariah asked Dan, moving forward to give him a big hug. "Because I do, a lot."

"And I love you Mariah," Dan responded in kind, squeezing his friend tightly.

"Your turn," Mariah said to Zach after pulling back from her hug with Dan. She wrapped her arms around the tall man who enthusiastically returned her hug. "I love you Zach and I'm so proud of you. You're going to be able to buy that house for your family sooner than expected now that you've joined Jack's band."

"I love you too. Yes, we already have half of the down payment we'll need so I'm pretty stoked. Thank you for listening to me all those nights and talking me down when my worries threatened to consume me. You've been a great friend to me," Zach released Mariah from his embrace just as Tanner and Emily arrived with their drinks.

"Are we missing out on a lovefest or are you on molly? And, if you're on molly, do you have any to share?" Tanner asked Mariah, handing her a bottle of water.

"Sorry, no molly tonight my friend, but you want in on this lovefest?" Mariah held her arms open for Tanner.

"Hell yeah," Tanner stepped into Mariah's arms, hugged her right off the ground and swung the petite woman around.

"Okay, okay. Put me down Tanner," Mariah pleaded while laughing uncontrollably.

"As you wish," Tanner lowered Mariah and deposited her in front of Tessa who immediately pulled her into an embrace from behind. Mariah settled comfortably into Tessa's arms.

"I hope you'll have some love left for me when we're alone later," Tessa whispered seductively into Mariah's ear.

"You needn't worry about that, I'm saving my best loving for you," Mariah whispered back.

After another half hour of socializing, the party seemed to be winding down so Tessa let Mariah know they could leave whenever she was ready.

"Well, it's getting late so I think we're going to head out," Mariah told her friends.

"Yeah, I think we're ready to go too," Emily added. "You want to walk together since your hotel is on the way to ours?"

"Sounds great. Let's say our goodbyes and go," Mariah replied.

The foursome said goodbye to the band, retrieved their jackets from Tessa's dressing room and left the venue. Given how cold it was outside, they decided to share a cab instead of walking. When they arrived at Mariah's hotel, Tessa and Mariah got out.

"Tessa, do you need a ride to your hotel?" Tanner asked while the cab door was still open.

"No thanks. It isn't far from here so I'll walk," Tessa shut the door to the cab after handing Tanner some money for the ride.

"You sure you're okay walking alone this late at night?" Tanner asked after rolling the window down.

"She's fine Tanner, she's got Mariah," Emily pointed out to him.

"But then Mariah will be walking back here alone," Tanner didn't want his friend taking those kinds of risks.

"Trust me Tanner, she won't be," Emily loved her boyfriend but he could be a tad clueless sometimes.

"I don't get it. Who would be walking back with her? Unless, she wasn't...oh, I get it now," Tanner's confusion turned to mirth when he realized what was happening.

"Goodnight Mariah. We'll call you in the morning," Tanner winked at his friend. "Goodnight Tessa. It was great meeting you."

"Goodnight guys," Tessa and Mariah said then waved goodbye as the cab pulled away.

"How far is your hotel from here?" Mariah asked Tessa.

"Only a five minute walk," Tessa had checked this while they were in the cab.

"Great. Let's run up to my room so I can grab a few things and then we can be on our way," Mariah opened the door to the hotel lobby and ushered Tessa inside.


	7. Chapter 7

Tessa pressed the elevator call button to take her and Mariah to the fourth floor of the hotel she was staying in. The doors opened a few moments later and the two women stepped into the empty elevator. Tessa pressed the button for the fourth floor and leaned back against the elevator wall, watching the doors close. Mariah moved into Tessa's arms and began placing soft kisses along Tessa's jaw, then moved down her neck. Tessa tangled her hands in Mariah's hair and pulled the redhead up to greet her lips with her own hungry mouth. Tessa's tongue slid easily through Mariah's parted lips and started a seductive dance with Mariah's. Mariah moved her hands down Tessa's back to her ass and squeezed gently while pulling her closer. Tessa moaned into Mariah's mouth when the shorter woman fondled her butt. Tessa let one of her hands move from Mariah's hair and down her neck to softly cup one of her breasts. They were both so consumed with each other, neither one of them heard the elevator ding or the doors opening. They did however hear the polite cough alerting them to the fact they were no longer alone and pulled apart quickly to find Steve looking at them with an amused grin.

"Sorry to interrupt but did you want to get off on this floor?" Steve asked the women, barely suppressing a laugh.

"Oh, hey Steve. Thanks, yeah, this is our stop," Tessa took Mariah's hand in hers and led her off the elevator. "See you later," Tessa said to Steve as he stepped onto the elevator.

"Bye Steve," Mariah said to her friend before following Tessa down the hallway.

Tessa opened the door to her room, stepped inside and held it open for Mariah to enter. She made sure to put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door handle before shutting it. "Please, make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink?" Tessa motioned in the direction of the couch as she kicked off her heels.

Mariah dropped her bag on the couch but she sat on the bed. "No thanks, I'd rather do something else with my mouth right now," Mariah said in a suggestive tone as she leaned back on her arms, pushing her chest out slightly.

"Fuck Mariah," Tessa's voice broke a little at the beautiful and completely irresistible sight before her. She quickly eliminated the distance between them and gently pulled Mariah up from the bed and into her arms. She held Mariah close and looked deeply into her eyes. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone else before. That being said, if you want to stop at any time just say the word and I'll stop. At any time Mariah. Okay?" Tessa didn't want Mariah to feel pressured into doing anything she didn't want to do.

Mariah lifted her hand to Tessa's cheek and gently caressed it. "I feel the same way about you. I can't imagine wanting to stop at any point but I promise you if I do, I'll let you know," Mariah was touched by Tessa's consideration. "Right now though, I think we need to do something to correct the fact that we are both still fully clothed," Mariah slowly unfastened Tessa's belt as she spoke.

"That I can do," Tessa almost whispered as Mariah disposed of her belt and began tugging the dress off of her body. Tessa's dress slid down her body to pool around her ankles. She stepped forward and out of the dress to reach for Mariah. She untucked the redhead's shirt from her jeans then slowly lifted it up and over her head before letting it drop to the floor. She paused for a moment to admire Mariah's beautifully freckled torso and dropped a wet kiss on her shoulder. She pulled back, lowered her head and drew one of Mariah's nipples into her mouth through the black lace bra she was wearing.

Mariah gasped as Tessa's warm wet mouth closed around her nipple and began to softly suck. Her head fell back when Tessa started planting wet kisses down her stomach. She felt Tessa's hands unbuttoning her jeans and sliding the zipper down. Tessa knelt down to slip Mariah's shoes off of her feet and gently tugged her jeans down her legs before standing back up. Mariah kicked them off the rest of the way then reached around Tessa to unhook her bra. Tessa moved her arms so Mariah could slide the bra straps off, revealing her breasts. Mariah immediately leaned forward to take one of Tessa's erect nipples into her mouth. She swirled her tongue around the hard nubbin and gently bit down on it.

"Oh God, yes Mariah," Tessa cried out as the redhead lavished her breast with attention. She arched her back, effectively pushing her breast deeper into the shorter woman's mouth.

Mariah moved to take Tessa's other nipple into her mouth when she felt like she could no longer neglect showing it the same attention she had shown to its twin. From there, she kissed her way down Tessa's toned stomach until she reached the top of her panties. Mariah ran her finger between Tessa's skin and the lacy fabric before sliding the last article of clothing down Tessa's body. She helped Tessa step out of the panties then started kissing her way back up the taller woman's body. When she reached the small patch of curls at the juncture of Tessa's thighs, Mariah kissed it softly. She felt Tessa shudder when she did. Mariah could feel and taste her wetness. She was instantly intoxicated by Tessa's smell and taste. Tentatively, she flicked her tongue out to touch Tessa's clit and the dark haired woman's hips bucked forward involuntarily which pushed Mariah's face deeper into her pussy. Mariah had never been so turned on in her life. She wrapped her lips around Tessa's pulsating nub and sucked tenderly.

Tessa moaned sharply as Mariah's tongue swirled around her very sensitive clit. She was so incredibly turned on right now and knew she would come too quickly if Mariah continued. "Ma-ri-ah, I," Tessa attempted to get words out, gently touching the head of the woman currently pleasuring her.

Mariah pulled away from Tessa's center and looked up at the dark haired woman. "Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?" she asked with trepidation. Since this was her first time going down on a woman, she wasn't sure if she was doing it right.

"Not at all," Tessa replied emphatically as she pulled the shorter woman up into her arms. She lifted Mariah's chin up so she could look into her eyes. "Everything you were doing was very right, trust me on that. I only stopped you because I was too close to coming and I very much want to make you come first. Is that okay with you?" Tessa asked.

"As long as I get to go down on you again, I'm okay with anything you want to do to me," Mariah said seductively. And those weren't just flirty words because for the first time in her life, she felt completely comfortable letting go of the control she usually held onto when it came to sex. Even though they hadn't known each other long, she felt very safe with Tessa and trusted she wouldn't do anything that Mariah didn't want her to do.

"I would be sad if you didn't because you seem to be naturally gifted in that department," Tessa smiled as the redhead blushed at the compliment. She moved forward, reached around Mariah to unhook her bra then slid it off her arms onto the floor. She bent down and pulled one of Mariah's nipples into her mouth while she fondled her other breast with her hand, lightly pinching the nipple. Mariah tangled her hands in Tessa's hair, pulling her impossibly closer. Though the sound of Tessa's moan was muffled, it reverberated throughout Mariah's body bringing forth a moan of her own. Tessa moved her hands to Mariah's panties, then slowly drew them down the shorter woman's shapely legs. Tessa threw back the covers on the bed and pulled Mariah onto the sheets with her. She ran her hand down Mariah's body until she reached her throbbing center. She dipped a finger between the redhead's lower lips and was surprised to find she was just as wet as herself. Tessa felt a tightening in her stomach and was sure her own wetness must be dripping down her thighs at this point. She kissed Mariah softly on the lips before asking, "Are you ready for me?"

Mariah smiled shyly but confidently. "Yes. Please fuck me Tessa. I need you," she spread her legs to give Tessa better access.

Tessa slowly slid two fingers inside Mariah's dripping wet pussy. The redhead sighed contentedly when she entered her. Tessa began moving inside Mariah with a slow steady rhythm. Soon, Mariah indicated with her hips that she was ready for Tessa to pick up the pace. Tessa ramped up the speed of her thrusts into Mariah's wet hole.

Mariah canted her hips to meet Tessa's plunging fingers, feeling her orgasm on the horizon. Too soon, she cried out in ecstasy as euphoria took over her body. The force of her orgasm expelled Tessa's fingers, leaving Mariah feeling empty and bereft. She pulled Tessa to her and kissed her softly. "That was incredible Tessa. I loved having you inside me," Mariah brushed the back of her hand down Tessa's cheek and kept going until she reached her breast. She cupped the soft mound and teased Tessa's already erect nipple to a point that bordered on painful.

A small gasp escaped Tessa's lips and she arched her back, pushing herself closer to Mariah's hand. "Please Mariah. I need you to touch me," Tessa begged the redhead to touch her core.

Eager to bring Tessa as much joy as the musician had just given to her, Mariah moved her hand from Tessa's breast to the wetness between her legs. She swiftly found Tessa's sensitive button and began rubbing it with her fingers. Tessa's hips bucked at the touch. Mariah removed her fingers from Tessa's clit and pushed them inside her lover gently. The walls of Tessa's pussy contracted around her fingers for a split second before relaxing and allowing her to move freely inside. She started with slow, shallow thrusts knowing Tessa would show or tell her what she wanted.

"Slow is good baby but harder and deeper please," Tessa made her desires known right away. And Mariah was excellent at following directions. Tessa felt her orgasm build with each thrust of Mariah's fingers. When Mariah's thumb grazed her clit while she was fucking her, Tessa climaxed hard. "Mariah! Oh god baby," Tessa cried out as she came.

Mariah slowly removed her fingers from the spent woman and brought them to her lips. She slipped the digits, slick with Tessa's essence, into her mouth and began softly sucking on them while Tessa watched her with lust filled eyes. "I love how you taste," Mariah said quietly after withdrawing her fingers from her mouth.

"Speaking of. My turn to taste you now," Tessa waggled her eyebrows at Mariah before settling in between her legs. The laugh Mariah let out at Tessa's facial expression was cut short when Tessa's tongue dragged through the folds of her womanhood.

"Holy shit Tessa! Please don't ever stop doing that," Mariah was instantly on cloud nine. Tessa pushed her tongue inside Mariah while her nose rubbed against her clit. Damn! Lesbians sure know their way around pussies, Mariah thought as Tessa worked her magic. The musician seemed strategic in her ministrations, bringing Mariah close to the edge repeatedly but not allowing her to release. Mariah was loving every second of this delicious torture but she wasn't sure how much longer she would last.

Tessa figured it was time to let Mariah come even though she could and would spend all night buried between her legs. She nibbled lightly on Mariah's clit before drawing it into her mouth and sucking hard on the sensitive organ. This move sent the redhead tumbling over the edge, screaming out Tessa's name and a slew of expletives.

"Fuck Tessa! Fuck! Fuck! Jesus baby, that was, fuck!" Mariah temporarily left her body and watched herself ride the tsunami of the best orgasm of her life while yelling obscenities. The pure pleasure coursing through her body was other worldly. Tessa moved from between her thighs and up her body, dropping feather light kisses along the way before settling her naked body on top of Mariah's. Mariah pulled Tessa's lips to her own and kissed her deeply. She could taste herself and it was turning her on so much it was a little embarrassing. She rolled Tessa onto her back, never breaking the kiss, and snaked her hand down to dip into her honey pot. Lordy, Tessa was still so incredibly wet and Mariah wanted nothing more than to help dry her lover off. She ended the kiss and licked a trail down Tessa's torso until she arrived at the apex of her thighs. Mariah licked Tessa's clit lightly to try and gauge how long she might be able to go down on her before she came.

Tessa moaned softly when Mariah's tongue made contact. This response seemed to be what Mariah was waiting for before she began licking Tessa earnestly. When the redhead started suckling at her clit, Tessa couldn't keep a soft cry from escaping her lips. "Mariah baby, that feels so good," Tessa panted, stroking the back of Mariah's head. She felt a brief chill when Mariah's mouth released her clit which was quickly replaced by searing heat when the redhead slid her tongue inside Tessa. Instinctually, she grabbed a handful of Mariah's hair and pushed her head forward. Tessa felt Mariah moan into her when she did this, then the redhead commenced twirling her tongue inside Tessa.

Mariah gripped Tessa's hips when the taller woman began grinding into her face so as to not lose contact. As much as Mariah wanted to luxuriate in the absolute joy of eating pussy, she shelved those thoughts for another time so she could focus on getting Tessa off. Tessa's breaths were getting shallower as her excitement built and Mariah sensed she was close to climaxing. She withdrew her tongue and used it to lick a path up through Tessa's wetness until she reached her erect clit. Mariah pulled the hardened organ into her mouth and sucked on it vigorously. Tessa's body stiffened then relaxed completely as her orgasm swept through her body.

When the fog of her climax lifted, Tessa registered Mariah looking at her intently. "Hi beautiful," she said in a low voice, reaching out to run her fingers through Mariah's tousled tresses. "Whatcha doing?"

"Just taking in the nuances of your orgasm. Watching you come is by far the sexiest thing I've ever witnessed," Mariah traced Tessa's lips with her finger. Tessa's lips parted so Mariah could slide her finger in. Those same lips closed around Mariah's finger, gently sucking. "Damn Tessa, I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough of you," Mariah groaned and slid her free hand down Tessa's body to her wet center. Two fingers easily glided into Tessa's welcoming tunnel. Tessa's hips rose to meet Mariah's thrusts, urging her deeper. Mariah moved in and out of Tessa, going knuckle deep, until the dark haired woman cried out her name as she came. Mariah extracted her fingers from Tessa and rested her head on the taller woman's heaving chest. She rubbed soothing circles on Tessa's stomach while her lover rode the waves of her orgasm.

Tessa stroked Mariah's head lovingly as her breathing returned to normal. "Mariah, it's embarrassing for me to admit this but I'm afraid I'll need to rest a bit because you've worn me out baby," Tessa confessed with chagrin. She couldn't recall another lover ever having satisfied her so completely. Was it possible she had finally met her match?

Mariah planted a wet kiss on Tessa's chest before raising her head to look Tessa in the eyes. "No need for embarrassment my sweet, I couldn't be any happier right now. You've earned rest and I could use some myself," Mariah said as she pushed strands of Tessa's hair off her sweat slicked face.

Tessa pulled Mariah's lips to hers for a soft kiss that was laced with unspoken emotions. "So, um, if you're not busy, would you like to spend the day with me?" Tesasa asked hopefully.

Mariah frowned slightly before answering. "I have plans to explore London with Tanner and Emily already. I would like it very much if you would join us though," Mariah wasn't the type of person that bails on plans with friends so she really hoped Tessa could join them.

"I'd love that. I do need to be at the venue no later than five for soundcheck. Will we be finished with sight seeing in time for that to happen?" Tessa wanted to spend as much time as possible with Mariah.

"Most definitely. I'm so happy we'll be able to spend the day together," Mariah replied sleepily, unable to suppress her yawn.

"Me too," Tessa laughed softly at how cute sleepy Mariah was. "Should I set an alarm on my phone for us so we aren't late?"

"Oh, yeah. Set it for 8:30, that should give us enough time to get ready and meet them at their hotel at 10," Mariah answered while snuggling closer to Tessa.

Tessa grabbed her phone from the nightstand, set the alarm and returned it to the nightstand, then turned off the bedside lamp. "Done. Now, one last question for you before we get a much needed five hours of sleep. Do you want to be the big spoon or the little spoon?"

"Little spoon," Mariah replied, turning onto her side facing away from Tessa. The taller woman rolled onto her side, slid her arms around Mariah and pulled her tightly to her naked form.

"Sleep well," Tessa whispered into Mariah's ear before tugging the covers over them both.


	8. Chapter 8

Mariah stood under the showerhead letting the warm water pelt her face and stream down her naked body. She turned her head around when she felt a draft to see Tessa stepping in behind her. Wordlessly, Tessa drew Mariah into her arms, pressing her breasts into Mariah's back. She snaked a hand down Mariah's stomach to her wet patch of curls, slipping into her moist folds. She rubbed gentle circles on Mariah's clit with her fingers. A soft sigh escaped Mariah's lips as she leaned back into Tessa, letting the taller woman support some of her weight while she fingered her most sensitive spot. Tessa moved her other hand to cup one of Mariah's breasts, pinching her hardened nipple lightly. Mariah moaned softly, her breathing becoming more labored as Tessa brought her closer to climaxing. "Oh Tessa, I'm so close, baby please," Mariah could feel her orgasm about to take over until a beeping sound broke through her lustful state. "Tessa, what's that sound? Is the smoke alarm going off?" Mariah asked but Tessa didn't respond, she just continued to stroke Mariah intimately. Mariah tried to get herself back to where she was before the sound began but wasn't able to block it out. "Seriously Tessa, do you not hear that beeping?" Mariah was beginning to get frustrated. She really needed to come but the unidentified noise had become too loud for her to ignore. She turned around but Tessa wasn't there. What the hell? Where did she go? Mariah was very confused. "Tessa? Tessa? Where are you babe?" Mariah called out for her lover.

"I'm right here Mariah," Mariah could hear Tessa's voice like she was right next to her, but she wasn't.

"Tessa? Tessa?!" Mariah was starting to panic a little now. What was happening? And why could she still feel Tessa's hands on her body when she wasn't there?

"Baby, wake up. You're dreaming," Tessa's voice in her ear finally broke through and woke Mariah from her dream.

"Tessa?" Mariah opened her eyes to find herself snuggled in Tessa's arms, still the little spoon. She turned herself so she was facing Tessa.

"Morning beautiful," Tessa smiled at Mariah and dropped a brief kiss on her lips.

"Morning gorgeous," Mariah returned Tessa's greeting after the dark haired woman pulled away from the kiss. "Am I tripping or do you hear that beeping sound too?" Mariah asked her.

"Oh, no, you aren't tripping. It's the alarm I set," Tessa replied as she leaned over to silence her phone. When she turned back to face Mariah, she noticed her lover's pupils were dilated. "So, what were you dreaming about? You called out my name several times so I'm assuming I was part of your dream," Tessa felt herself getting wet just from seeing the lust in Mariah's eyes.

"We were showering together and you were touching me here," Mariah brought Tessa's hand to her wetness. "I was so close to coming when the alarm went off."

Tessa sucked in a breath harshly when she felt how incredibly wet Mariah was. "Allow me to rectify things," Tessa said huskily before sliding two fingers into Mariah. She pumped her fingers in and out of Mariah at a swift clip, grazing her clit every so often with her thumb. When the redhead arched her back, Tessa couldn't resist capturing one of Mariah's nipples with her mouth. She sucked on it gently, eliciting a moan from Mariah.

"So, Damn, Close, Tessa, Please, Don't, Stop," Mariah's breathing was ragged as her orgasm inched ever closer. Tessa released her nipple in order to draw her clit into her mouth, never slowing her thrusts inside Mariah. She sucked Mariah's clit deeply, sending her over the edge. "Holy shit Tessa!" Mariah exclaimed as her orgasm rushed through her body.

Tessa pulled Mariah into her arms, resuming their spooning position. "Feeling better now?" she whispered into Mariah's ear before resting her head against her lover's.

"So much better, you have no idea," Mariah sighed with contentment, running her hand up and down Tessa's arm soothingly.

"I might have some idea," Tessa replied, not trying to hide her aroused state.

"Ooh, goodie, my turn now!" Mariah squealed with glee, extracting herself from Tessa's arms and rolling the taller woman onto her back. "What do you want baby?"

Tessa moved her hand down her body to the heat between her legs and dipped her index finger into her wetness. She lifted her glistening finger to Mariah's mouth and watched her draw it in and hungrily suck it off. The redhead released Tessa's finger then moved between her legs, nudging them apart to give her better access.

Mariah dragged her tongue through Tessa's wet folds from bottom to top until she reached her throbbing clit. She wrapped her lips around it, sucking zealously. Tessa moaned and tangled her hand in Mariah's hair, holding her in place. Mariah brought her hand to Tessa's entrance, then slipped two fingers inside her. Tessa's hips lifted, drawing her fingers deeper. Taking her cue from last time, Mariah thrust her fingers into Tessa hard and deep.

"Yes Mariah. Just like that. Oh fuck," Tessa delighted in every thrust of Mariah's hand, not to mention the delicious assault on her clit by the redhead's mouth. Her hand tightened around Mariah's hair and she pulled lightly. This action caused Mariah to moan with her clit still in her mouth, which in turn triggered Tessa's orgasm. Mariah withdrew her fingers as Tessa's climax began to subside and replaced them with her tongue. Tessa was awash in sensation, just beginning to recover when Mariah's tongue entered her. She wasn't sure she could handle coming again so soon but she damn sure wasn't going to stop Mariah.

Mariah twirled her tongue inside Tessa, greedily drinking her up. She brought her thumb to Tessa's clit, rubbing lightly at first then with more pressure. Tessa's hips began rocking as her excitement grew. Mariah slid her tongue from inside Tessa to circle her opening.

"Good lord Mariah!" Tessa cried out, overwhelmed with pleasure as another orgasm tore through her body. Mariah ceased her sensuous ministrations on Tessa's center to trail feather light kisses up her body. Along her stomach, through the valley between her breasts, upward to her neck, finally landing on her lips. Tessa placed her hand on the back of Mariah's head, keeping their lips pressed together, parting her own to deepen the kiss. 

Mariah slipped her tongue into Tessa's mouth, engaging the taller woman's tongue in an erotic dance for several minutes before reluctantly pulling away. "As much as I'd like to continue this, we should probably get in the shower now," Mariah resigned herself to putting her carnal desires aside.

"Perhaps we should shower separately if we don't want to be late," Tessa said with a soft chuckle. Neither of them seemed able to keep their hands off of each other.

"I suppose you're right but that doesn't sound like much fun," Mariah pouted.

"No, it won't be but I promise to make it up to you later when we're alone again. Why don't you hop in first?" Tessa placed a soft kiss on Mariah's lips.

"Okay. Oh, and I'm going to hold you to that promise missy," Mariah kissed Tessa's cheek before easing out of the bed.

"Please do," Tessa replied with a sexy smile.

*******************************************************************

Mariah emerged from the shower ten minutes later. After toweling her wet body dry, she wrapped her damp hair in the towel and walked out of the bathroom. Tessa was looking out the window in all her naked splendor. Mariah paused for a few moments to appreciate the view before moving across the room to where Tessa was. She wound her arms around Tessa's middle, pressing their naked bodies together, then kissed one of the freckles on her lover's back. "Shower's all yours," Mariah said softly.

"Thanks." Tessa turned in Mariah's arms until they were facing one another. She couldn't resist dropping her head down to lightly nuzzle into Mariah's neck. "You smell so good."

"Nice try temptress but it's time for your sweet ass to get in the shower," Mariah said as firmly as she could given she wanted nothing more than to push Tessa against the window and fuck her senseless. She silently reminded herself there would be time for that later.

"Spoilsport," Tessa's tone was defeated as she extricated herself from Mariah's arms and made her way to the bathroom. "I won't be long," she said before disappearing into the shower.

Mariah retrieved her bag from the sofa and rummaged around inside until she found her phone. She saw a new message from Tanner and Emily asking if she was still on schedule to meet them at their hotel room at 10. She messaged back that she would be there at 10 with Tessa if it was okay that the musician joined them for sight seeing. She set her phone down and began dressing in the change of clothes she had grabbed from her hotel room last night. Her phone pinged, alerting her that a new message had arrived. 'Of course that's okay. See you both soon.' Mariah smiled as she read the message, then sent a thumbs up emoji back in response. She popped into the bathroom to grab the hair dryer from the wall and heard Tessa humming an unfamiliar tune. She took in the melodic sound briefly before turning the hair dryer on and beginning the work of taming her hair. She didn't hear Tessa turn the shower off over the noise the device in her hands was emitting so she was slightly startled when the shower curtain opened to reveal Tessa's wet naked body reflected in the mirror. A slow sensual smile crept onto her face as she let her eyes rove over the delectable sight before locking eyes with Tessa's reflection.

"See something you like?" Tessa asked with a smirk, leaning forward to grab a towel from the rack.

"So very much," Mariah flicked her tongue out to moisten her suddenly dry lips. Tessa's overt sexiness completely captivated Mariah. When the dark haired woman began rubbing the towel over her body to soak up the water droplets dotting her skin, Mariah averted her eyes in an attempt to tamp down her desire. 

Tessa massaged the towel around her head to extract the excess moisture from her hair, then hung the damp towel back on the rack. She lifted her arms above her head in a lazy stretch, arching her back ever so slightly.

"Jesus Tessa, you're killing me here," Mariah choked out when her gaze was inevitably drawn to the glorious vision.

Tessa laughed softly at how flustered Mariah was. "Sorry, I'll go put some clothes on and let you finish up in here," Tessa took pity on the redhead and sauntered out.


	9. Chapter 9

Mariah knocked on the door to Tanner and Emily's room at 10 on the dot. The door swung open revealing Tanner's smiling face.

"Morning ladies! Come on in," Tanner stepped back to welcome them into the room. "Please have a seat if you'd like," Tanner indicated the bed as there wasn't anywhere else to sit.

Mariah and Tessa sat on the edge of the bed, joined by Tanner after he shut the door. "Where's Em?" Mariah asked. The room was just as tiny as hers so she either wasn't there or she was in the bathroom.

"Bathroom, should be out in a minute," Tanner replied just as the door to the bathroom opened and Emily emerged.

"Morning. How are the two of you doing?" Emily asked cheerfully.

"Fanfuckingtastic!" Mariah answered enthusiastically, earning big smiles from the others in the room. "How about you two?"

"Same," Tanner and Emily said at the same time. "Everyone ready?" Tanner asked, receiving a chorus of 'Yeses' in response. "Let's do this then," he clapped his hands together, rose from the bed and opened the wardrobe door to grab coats for Emily and himself. Emily held the door to their room open for the other three, then closed it behind her. The group left the hotel, stepping out into the frigid air and made their way to the Tube.

Forty-five minutes later they stood across the street from Big Ben, staring up at the impressive clock tower. Right on schedule, the chimes sounded as the clock struck 11. They took some pictures of the tower and some of them with the tower in the background.

"Hey guys, do you mind if we pop into that coffee shop over there before we walk to Westminster Abbey? I'm so hungry and need a coffee desperately," Mariah asked the others.

"Works for me, I could go for a coffee. What about you Em?" Tanner knew Emily had a cup of coffee earlier this morning but she usually wasn't adverse to a second cup especially the morning after a show.

"Yes, please," Emily definitely needed a second cup today.

"And I'll make it unanimous because I'm always ready for coffee and I'm also starving," Tessa's stomach growled as soon as she stopped speaking, underscoring her words. Everyone laughed at the unintended sound.

"Did the two of you not eat this morning?" Tanner addressed Mariah and Tessa. He was still pretty full but he and Emily had a big breakfast earlier. "Maybe you were otherwise occupied?" Tanner ventured a guess given the way the two of them were all over each other last night.

"Oh, we both definitely ate but we should probably have some food too," Mariah was really feeling herself today with that remark.

Tessa burst out laughing at Mariah's comment. Damn, she already thought Mariah was sexy as hell and this just made her even sexier in Tessa's eyes. She took Mariah's hand in hers and they walked toward the coffee shop, leaving a speechless Tanner standing there with his mouth hanging open in shock.

Emily reached for Tanner's hand, intertwining their fingers. "Come on babe, I'm sure you'll think of a comeback eventually," her boyfriend wasn't one to be rendered silent by anyone so she was going to enjoy this moment and thank Mariah later.

After checking out Westminster Abbey the foursome walked along the River Thames via The Queen's Walk en route to their next destination, The Clink Prison Museum. This stop was Emily's pick as she was a history buff and The Clink Prison was one of England's oldest and most notorious prisons. Emily and Tanner led the way hand in hand, with Mariah and Tessa just behind them, also holding hands. It was about a forty minute walk so Mariah thought now might be a good time to get to know Tessa better. "So, aside from you being a musician and a lesbian, I know very little about you," Mariah said to the taller woman.

"What would you like to know?" Tessa asked Mariah in response.

"Anything. Everything," Mariah said with a laugh. "Maybe start with where you are from?"

"I'm from Chicago, lived there all my life. I share an apartment with my younger sister, Crystal," Tessa smiled thinking about her sister and how much she loved that girl.

"Are the two of you close?" Mariah asked, feeling a bit sad thinking about her deceased sister.

"Super close. I pretty much raised her," Tessa kept her tone light, pushing aside thoughts about their shitty childhood.

"Oh, were you orphans?" Mariah felt a pang of sadness at the thought.

"No, but we might as well have been. Our parents were never really parents to us," Tessa found it hard to speak about them without hatred creeping into her voice.

"I'm sorry Tessa," Mariah's heart broke for Tessa and her sister. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. Is that okay?" Tessa looked over at Mariah.

"Of course it is. You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. I hope I didn't upset you by asking," Mariah looked back at Tessa, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"You didn't upset me Mariah so please don't feel bad," Tessa lifted their joined hands to her lips and laid a gentle kiss on the top of Mariah's hand. "So, how about you, where are you from?" Tessa asked in an attempt to move away from the unpleasant subject.

"I was born in Wisconsin and live there now with two roommates," Mariah gave Tessa the bookends of her life but not the details between.

"Any siblings?" Tessa asked.

"A half brother and half sister, both younger than me, and an identical twin sister," Mariah replied, attempting to keep the sadness she felt from breaking through.

"A twin? So the two of you must be close, right?" Tessa had heard most twins were very close and sometimes even had deeper connections.

"I never met her, she died as a teenager," Mariah's voice broke a little as she spoke.

"Oh Mariah, I'm so very sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories for you," Tessa stopped walking and pulled Mariah into her arms for a comforting hug. She rubbed soothing circles on the shorter woman's back. They stayed like this for a few minutes.

"It's okay Tessa, you didn't know," Mariah said after pulling back to look into Tessa's eyes. She gave the dark haired woman a brave smile even as she felt a single tear run down her cheek.

Tessa softly brushed the tear off Mariah's face with her thumb then leaned forward to kiss her tenderly on the lips. "Maybe we should talk about something fun now and save the heavier stuff for another time?" Tessa suggested a change of subject.

"Good idea. What do you want to talk about?" Mariah asked as they began walking again, thankful to talk about happier things.

"Let's talk about the rest of the tour. Will you be at the shows in Italy? Maybe we can explore Rome together," Tessa was looking forward to spending more time with Mariah.

"No, I won't be at those shows," Mariah felt like she was letting Tessa down but her flight, train and hotels were already booked. "I fly to Lisbon tomorrow morning and will be there for a few days. Then I catch a train to Valencia, Spain and stay there for a few days. I'll be at the Barcelona and Madrid shows though."

"But that's a week from now!" Tessa cringed when she heard how needy she sounded right now. She never needed anyone before so what was this all about? she wondered. Shit, I haven't even known this woman 24 hours and I'm freaking out because I won't see her for a week. Get a grip Tessa, she chastised herself for her outburst. "Sorry, I must sound like a crazy person," Tessa apologized to her lover.

"Not at all Tessa. I'm upset that I won't see you for a week too. I know we just met but I...," Mariah trailed off mid-sentence because she wasn't sure what she wanted to say.

"I know Mariah, you don't have to say it. I feel the same way," Tessa still didn't know exactly what she felt but she didn't want to be apart from Mariah.

Mariah smiled at Tessa appreciatively. "So, let's make the most of the time we do have together. Okay?"

"Okay," Tessa agreed. "On that note, what time does your flight leave tomorrow?"

"8am from Heathrow so I need to be there by 6," Mariah wasn't looking forward to getting up so early.

"Ouch, that's early. My flight to Rome leaves Heathrow at 10am. I could go early with you so I can see you off," Tessa threw the idea out there.

"I'd really like that but you don't have to," Mariah didn't want Tessa to have to get up earlier than she needed to and spend extra hours at the airport.

"I want to Mariah. I'm sure we'll find a way to have fun there," Tessa winked at the shorter woman. "And, speaking of having fun, if we check you out of your hotel before tonight's show and bring your stuff to my hotel we'll have more time together."

"Yes," Mariah quickly jumped on the offer before Tessa could take it back.

"Perfect," Tessa replied happily. "Shit! Do you see Tanner and Emily? I lost track of them," Tessa scanned the walkway ahead of them for the couple but came up empty.

"They broke right up ahead. I think this is where the walk along the river ends," Mariah told Tessa.

Sure enough there was a path leading off to the right a few steps later and they caught sight of the other couple again. They followed them when they turned left into a tunnel with a mural of William Shakespeare on the front wall. Mariah stopped to snap a picture of the colorful painting. They caught up with Tanner and Emily at the entrance to the museum, which was just past the end of the tunnel.

Half an hour later they emerged from the prison museum, having seen all there was to see. "I still think they are missing out on a real money making opportunity by not selling replicas of some of the torture devices in the souvenir shop," Tanner repeated as they stepped outside. "They would be a great addition to anyone's sex dungeon."

"Please Tanner. We all know you've never even seen a sex dungeon Mr. Vanilla," Mariah said with a laugh.

"I'll have you know that Em and I..." Tanner stopped speaking abruptly when his girlfriend glared at him. "Uh, never mind. Mr. Vanilla is going to shut his pie hole now."

"Good choice," Emily told him.

"Now that we've got that settled, time to cross the London Bridge," Mariah said excitedly. She loved bridges, especially ones spanning large waterways that she could walk across.

"Weirdo," Tanner said to Mariah with an affectionate smile.

"Guess that makes me a weirdo as well because I love bridges too," Tessa was a little surprised her new lover shared that interest with her.

"Well, aren't the two of you just perfect for each other," Tanner rolled his eyes at them.

Mariah stuck her tongue out at him, then extended her hand to Tessa who gladly grabbed ahold of it. They walked away in the direction of the bridge. Tanner and Emily followed behind them.

"So, I'm curious if you've ever seen a sex dungeon," Tessa asked Mariah when they were out of the other couple's earshot.

"No," Mariah chuckled at the thought of her in a sex dungeon. "Have you?"

"Uh, yeah," Tessa admitted a little nervously. She didn't want to scare Mariah off but she also didn't want to lie to her.

"Really? You'll have to tell me more about that later," Mariah's mind instantly conjured up an image of Tessa dressed in all leather slapping a small paddle against her hand with a wicked gleam in her eye.

"Sure. Is that something you're interested in?" Tessa liked a little kink every now and again but wasn't sure if Mariah would.

"Like bondage and sadomasochism?" Mariah asked. When Tessa nodded yes, she continued. "Probably not sadomasochism so much although I have fantasized about being spanked in a sexual way. I think I would like being tied up and maybe blindfolded, if I trusted my partner," Mariah hadn't trusted any of her previous sexual partners enough to be that vulnerable with them.

"Yeah, you definitely need to trust your partner and have a safe word," Tessa wouldn't even consider engaging in that type of activity without trust.

"What's your safe word?" Mariah asked curiously.

"Licorice," Tessa scrunched her nose up in disgust just thinking about the offensive item.

"I hate licorice. So gross," Mariah replied honestly.

"Why do you think it's my safe word?" Tessa said with a laugh.

"Funny. We both love bridges and hate licorice. I wonder what else we have in common?" Mariah found herself liking Tessa even more as she got to know her better.

"I don't know but I'm looking forward to finding out. Let's stop here for a minute and watch the water," Tessa pulled Mariah to the railing and leaned over it to watch the water flowing below them.

Mariah leaned over the railing next to Tessa to take in the waterway. When she looked up and over, she found Tessa staring at her. "What?" she asked a little self consciously. Did she have something on her face?

"Nothing, just looking at your adorable face," Tessa smiled at the redhead before lowering her head to kiss her sumptuous lips.

"Break it up you two and let me take a picture of you on this 'fascinating' bridge so we can be on our way," Tanner couldn't fathom what it was the women found so interesting about bridges. Plus, the next stop was the Tower of London and he was interested in seeing that.

The women broke their kiss and turned to face Tanner. "Alright Tanner. Don't get your panties in a bunch," Mariah put her arm around Tessa's waist and pulled the taller woman to her side. Tessa slipped her arm around Mariah's waist and the pair smiled for the photo.

"You want me to take one with your phone too?" Tanner asked Mariah after snapping a pic with his phone.

"Yes please," Mariah responded and handed her phone to Tanner. "Take a couple, okay?"

"Sure," Tanner snapped one of them with their arms around each other, then one of Tessa standing behind Mariah with her arms wrapped around the redhead. They both looked so happy which made Tanner feel happy for them.

"Ready to move on?" Emily asked everyone after the photo shoot ended.

"I suppose. We're still going to cross the Tower Bridge as well, right?" Mariah asked.

"Yup," Tanner replied, shaking his head with bemusement.

"Okay then, let's walk," Mariah reclaimed Tessa's hand and they followed Tanner and Emily across the bridge.

An hour later the group was finished walking around the grounds of the Tower of London and had crossed the Tower Bridge, arriving at Potters Fields Park. They got some nachos to go from a nearby restaurant then settled on the concrete steps facing the river to eat their snack while watching boats sail by.

"So Tessa, is this your first European tour like it is for ALO?" Tanner asked the musician before popping a fully loaded chip into his mouth.

"Yeah. It's actually my first tour anywhere," Tessa replied, grabbing a nacho for herself.

"Oh, wow. Congratulations. How'd you end up getting the gig, if you don't mind me asking?" Emily was surprised a musician as talented as Tessa hadn't toured before. Although she shouldn't be surprised, she knew how tough it could be to make it in this industry.

"Thanks. I don't mind at all. It was all pretty organic, beginning with a chance encounter with ALO. They were playing a couple of shows in Chicago about six months ago and happened to be staying at the hotel I work at. I'm a front desk clerk there and they let me play piano and sing in the lounge on Saturday nights after I finish my shift. One night the band rolled into the lounge after their show and caught most of my set. Jenna approached me when I was finished, mentioned she managed a band and asked me to join her and them for drinks. We all really hit it off and had a fun night. I had breakfast with Jenna the next morning and she offered to be my manager at no charge until I started making decent money to play. I would have been a fool to decline her offer. Less than three months later she called me about this tour and I jumped at the chance," Tessa took a bite of her nacho when she finished speaking.

"That's really cool Tessa. Sounds like your career as a musician is more in sight now," Tanner was getting an idea after hearing Tessa tell her story.

"I don't want to jinx it but it does feel like this could be a real jolt in that direction. It would be nice to be able to play music full time and leave the front desk behind," Tessa would happily quit her job at the hotel. It wasn't a horrible job it just didn't bring her any joy at all.

"It wasn't that long ago that all the guys in ALO had day jobs to support themselves and now they all play music for a living. I'll bet Jenna will do the same for you before you know it," Mariah stated encouragingly as she rested her hand on Tessa's thigh.

"That's the dream," Tessa replied, placing her hand over Mariah's. She caught sight of the time on her watch as she did so. "Sorry to break this party up but I need to be heading back now."

"I think we're all ready to go," Emily said before standing up.

"Would you guys like to split a cab with us instead of tubing it? That will cut the travel time in half," Mariah suggested. The more alone time she had with Tessa, the better.

"Sure," Tanner was ready for a nap so reduced travel time sounded very appealing.

The foursome piled into a cab and set off.


	10. Chapter 10

"Alarm set. We have an hour," Tessa said to Mariah as she turned to face the redhead after setting her phone on the nightstand. Her breathing quickened when she saw Mariah was almost naked, having wasted no time since they returned to Tessa's room. Mariah let her bra fall away from her body, revealing her perfect breasts. Tessa began undressing quickly to catch up to Mariah. Before she could get to her panties Mariah had dispensed of her own leaving her standing there, gloriously naked. Tessa couldn't stop herself from jumping Mariah, pushing her onto the bed and straddling the shorter woman. She put her hands on the bed, flanking Mariah's head, and lowered herself to kiss the redhead deeply. 

Mariah tangled her hand in Tessa's hair, pulling her closer and sliding her tongue into the taller woman's mouth. She moved her other hand to one of Tessa's breasts, teasing her nipple erect. Tessa was the one to break away from their lip-lock so she could move between Mariah's legs. She touched the tip of her tongue to Mariah's clit then swirled slow circles around it before finally drawing it into her mouth. Mariah whimpered when Tessa's lips closed around her most sensitive spot. "Oh Tessa," Mariah was in awe of the talent Tessa's tongue possessed. 

Tessa entered Mariah with two fingers while continuing to suck her clit gently. She moved in and out of Mariah, increasing her speed to meet the demand of her lover's hips. Eventually, she had to relinquish her mouth's hold on Mariah's clit to focus on fucking her properly. 

"Tessa baby, I want more of you inside me," Mariah panted out as Tessa slid her fingers in and out of her wet pussy.

"How much more?" Tessa asked, slowing her thrusts a little.

"How much more can I have?" Mariah asked curiously as she was just imagining a third finger when she made the request.

"I can add a third finger or you can have my entire hand," Tessa held up the hand that wasn't inside Mariah to show her lover what fisting looked like after receiving a quizzical look from the redhead.

Mariah paused for only a moment after the visual Tessa provided before making her choice. "I want all of you inside me."

"Then that's what you shall have," Tessa thrust her two fingers into Mariah a couple more times, added a third finger for a few more thrusts before pushing her whole hand inside Mariah.

"Holy hell Tessa!" Mariah exclaimed once Tessa was completely inside her. "Fuck me baby," she implored, moving her hips up to draw Tessa further into her.

Tessa pumped her hand into Mariah's incredibly wet pussy. Her thrusts picked up speed, matching the increased rhythm of Mariah's bucking hips. Tessa could tell Mariah was close to her release when her moans of pleasure got louder.

"Tessa, oh god baby, I'm coming," Mariah cried out as her orgasm flooded her body with rapture. "That was," Mariah began speaking then paused when her mind couldn't formulate what to say next. "I..I have no words," she gave up trying to describe how mind-blowingly good it was. 

Tessa slowly and gently eased her hand from inside Mariah, eliciting a low groan from the redhead. She peppered the insides of Mariah's thighs with soft kisses before moving to draw her clit into her mouth. Her fingers dug into Mariah's hips while she feasted on the deliciousness of her lover's juicy pussy. Tessa sucked on Mariah's nubbin until the redhead came again, uttering her name softly as she did. She blazed a trail of wet kisses from Mariah's belly button to circle each breast before landing on Mariah's luscious lips.

Mariah parted her lips and slid her tongue into Tessa's open mouth, kissing her deeply before rolling the taller woman onto her back. She broke their kiss and slithered down Tessa's body, stopping to attend to her hardened nipples with her hands and mouth, until she reached the waistband of Tessa's undies. Mariah drew the garment covering the prize she sought down Tessa's long legs, then tossed the drenched panties onto the floor. Slowly and deliberately, she kissed her way up the inside of Tessa's legs, alternating between the right and left. Tessa was breathing hard when she finally reached the wetness pooling between the dark haired woman's thighs. Mariah slid her hands under Tessa, grasping her buttocks to lift her pussy to her mouth. She licked up the inside of one of Tessa's lower lips and down the inside of the other, carefully avoiding her clit along the way. She slipped her tongue into Tessa's entrance, wiggling it lightly while sucking voraciously. Tessa moaned loudly and lifted her hips, pushing herself ever closer to Mariah's mouth. Mariah squeezed Tessa's butt cheeks tightly, eating her with gusto.

Tessa grabbed fistfuls of the bed sheets when Mariah's mouth closed around her engorged clit. Her head thrashed from side to side as she simultaneously welcomed and fought off her impending orgasm. As much as she craved release, she didn't want this to end. It blew her mind how great Mariah was at this right out of the gate. She knew she fell short of even being okay at it the first few times she went down on a woman. Eventually, Tessa's internal battle ended when her need to come triumphed over her desire for Mariah to continue. "Mariah!" she cried out as her orgasm shook her whole body.

Mariah drew Tessa into her arms as her climax cycled through her. The dark haired woman rested her head on Mariah's chest while she gently stroked her hair. She kissed Tessa's forehead before asking, "Think we have time for another round?" As if the fates heard her question, the alarm on Tessa's phone started chiming.

Tessa let out a sharp laugh and shook her head ruefully. "Signs point to no. Besides, I don't know if I'd have any energy left to perform tonight if we did," she said as she reached over to shut off the alarm.

"As long as you have energy left for me after tonight's performance, I suppose I can make the sacrifice," Mariah tried to pull Tessa back into her arms but the taller woman easily evaded her grasp.

"Nope. Hands to yourself until after we leave this room. I can't let you distract me no matter how much I want you to," Tessa said as she backed away toward the bathroom, keeping a watchful eye on Mariah. "Oh, just a FYI, performing on stage always renews my energy," Tessa winked at the redhead before disappearing into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

*****************************************************************

Somehow Tessa and Mariah made it to the venue fifteen minutes before Tessa needed to be there despite Mariah's best efforts otherwise. They entered through the back door for artists and stopped by Tessa's dressing room to drop off their coats. They popped by ALO's dressing room before heading to the stage to see if Jenna was there. The door was open when they got there and Jenna was on the couch working on her laptop.

"Knock, knock," Tessa said from the doorway.

Jenna looked up and smiled when she saw Tessa and Mariah, "Hi ladies. Come on in."

"Hi Jenna," Tessa said as she and Mariah entered the room. "I'm about to head downstairs for soundcheck but wanted to ask you if it's okay for Mariah to come with me," Tessa didn't want to overstep and assume it was cool just because Mariah was friends with the guys.

"That's totally fine Tessa. Mariah has been there for many of ALO's soundchecks, even the one where all the guys were arguing with each other the whole time," Jenna replied, sending a wink in Mariah's direction. "Oh, before I forget, here's your backstage pass for tonight," Jenna handed the redhead her pass. "I'll leave Tanner and Emily's with their will call tickets."

"Thanks Jenna," Mariah gratefully accepted the pass. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Bye Jenna," Tessa said before turning around and walking out the door, Mariah right on her heels.

ALO was on stage for their soundcheck when the women arrived. They quietly posted up in the corner while the guys worked with the sound crew. A few minutes later Zach noticed them and gave them a nod. "Hey guys, Tessa is here so how about we run through 'Ridin'' now?" Zach said to the rest of the band when they stopped playing.

"That's my cue. Be back in a few," Tessa told Mariah before giving her a quick kiss on the lips then joining the guys on stage.

Mariah was pretty excited that Tessa was going to sing Lesley Grant's part from 'Ridin''. She watched her lover step up to the mic and speak into it briefly and couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to what that mouth was doing to her less than two hours ago. A pleased smile crept onto her face at the thought of Tessa's tongue circling her clit. The sound of Tessa singing pulled Mariah from her erotic thoughts back to the present. Tessa's voice fit in with the song very nicely and Mariah thought she would be well received by the ALO audience. Hopefully that would prompt more of them to tune in for her set afterward.

The rest of ALO's soundcheck went smoothly as did Tessa's. Steve stuck around for Tessa's soundcheck, standing with Mariah off to the side. Tessa joined the two of them when she was finished. Jack and his band were just arriving for their soundcheck so the three of them decided to skedaddle. They went upstairs and found Dave, Dan and Jenna in ALO's dressing room eating pizza.

"Come in, grab a slice or two from the table and have a seat," Dan addressed the new arrivals.

Ever the gentleman, Steve insisted Tessa and Mariah get their slices first. They both opted for pepperoni and shared sly smiles, adding this to the list of things they had in common. The ladies sat on the couch Dave was sitting on while Steve joined Dan and Jenna on the other couch.

"So, what did everyone do today?" Mariah asked the others.

"Steve, Dan and I toured Buckingham Palace then spent some time in Hyde Park," Jenna told Mariah.

"Zach and I went to the Design Museum then joined Steve, Dan and Jenna in Hyde Park," Dave took another bite of his pizza after answering Mariah's question.

"How about the two of you?" Dan asked the women seated on the couch opposite him.

"We tubed to Big Ben then walked around the city from there with Tanner and Emily. Saw Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London, crossed a few bridges and visited The Clink Prison Museum," Mariah gave them the rundown of their day of sight seeing.

"Sounds like we all had an enjoyable day," Jenna got up to grab another slice of pizza then returned to her seat. "That's good considering we'll be traveling for a good part of tomorrow." 

"Oh Jenna, speaking of that, I won't be riding to the airport with all of you tomorrow morning. I'll meet you at the departure gate instead," Tessa brought her manager up to speed on her change of plans.

"Sure, no problem. Just don't be late," Jenna tried not to micromanage her musicians.

"No worries there since I'll be arriving at the airport at 6am," Tessa clarified with a laugh.

"Why would you want to get there so early? Our flight isn't until 10?" Dave was puzzled by the idea.

"True but Mariah's flight leaves at 8am and I want to see her off," Tessa rested her hand on Mariah's knee.

"Ah, got it," Dave could clearly see Tessa was completely sprung for Mariah. He found it amusing because he got the impression Tessa was a bit of a player like he was. Mariah seemed really into Tessa as well so perhaps this was the start of something significant and not just a brief affair.

"Hey party people!" Tanner's voice boomed throughout the room as he and Emily walked through the doorway into the room.

"Hi Tanner. Hi Emily," Jenna greeted the couple. "There's pizza on the table if you're hungry."

"You are a lifesaver Jenna. We ran into some issues earlier with procuring something to eat and just gave up. I'm so hungry now, thank you so much," Emily gratefully accepted Jenna's offer.

While Emily and Tanner loaded plates with pizza, Dan received a text to join Zach in Jack's dressing room to go over some last minute changes to tonight's set list. Jenna got a call right after Dan left and stepped out of the room to take it. Emily and Tanner took the spots on the couch vacated by Dan and Jenna, then hungrily dug into their pizza.

"Did you two enjoy tooling around London today?" Dave asked Tanner and Emily.

"Yeah, it was fun but I sure am glad we got a nap in before coming here," Tanner answered after swallowing the food in his mouth. "Did you ladies get a chance to nap?" Tanner asked Tessa and Mariah.

Mariah arched an eyebrow at Tanner, "You know what they say, no rest for the wicked."

"Jesus, you two are like damn rabbits," Tanner pretended to be disgusted by them but wasn't fooling anyone.

"Steve, do you have a copy of tonight's setlist handy? I want to see where 'Ridin'' is on it so I'm backstage in time since I'll be on the dance floor until then," Tessa asked her fellow musician.

"Yeah, here you go," Steve pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pants pocket and handed it to Tessa. "Show it to Mariah too, she'll be able to advise you on the best time to go."

Mariah took a look at the setlist. "If you leave at the end of 'Lady Loop' that should give you plenty of time. 'Dead Still Dance', which is about five minutes long, is between that and 'Ridin''," Mariah told Tessa. "I'll let you know when it's time."

"Thanks," Tessa handed the setlist back to Steve.

After they all finished eating, the two couples headed downstairs to grab drinks and post up center stage for ALO's set.

"Are the two of you coming to the shows in Italy?" Tessa asked Tanner and Emily as she leaned back against the stage with Mariah next to her.

"No, we will only be at the last show of the tour in Amsterdam. Our travel itinerary doesn't line up with the tour again until then," Emily told Tessa.

"Where are you going from here?" Tessa asked the blond before taking a sip of her water.

"Paris for almost a week, then traveling around France for another week before heading to the Netherlands for the last week and a half of our trip," Emily picked her beer up off the stage and took a healthy swallow.

"Cool. Do either of you speak French?" Tessa inquired.

"I speak enough to get by. Luckily, Emily is fluent so I'll let her do most of the talking," Tanner hugged his girl to his side affectionately.

"Hey guys, I'll be back in a few," Mariah told the other three before walking away in the direction of the soundboard.

"Uh, where's she going?" Tessa asked Tanner and Emily as she watched Mariah's ass gently sway side to side in the flattering burgundy dress she was wearing tonight.

"No idea," Tanner replied. "She does this a lot at shows, wanders off and then just pops back up."

"Oh, okay," Tessa wasn't sure why she felt a little bothered by this considering that strong independent women were just her type. She saw Mariah talking to and laughing with one of the sound guys and then she headed back toward them a few minutes later.

"Did you miss me?" Mariah asked Tessa when she returned and wrapped her arms around the musician.

"Desperately," Tessa replied before kissing her firmly.

"Okay, we get it. You two are cute together," Tanner rolled his eyes at the women.

"So, what were you and the sound guy talking about?" Tessa made sure to keep her tone casual when she asked Mariah the question.

"I asked Jacob if I could have the setlists for you and ALO after you both finish playing. He told me he would save them for me," Mariah smiled up at Tessa and snuggled closer to her.

"Do you know him?" Tessa asked Mariah apprehensively.

"We all know Jacob. He's ALO's regular sound guy and our smoking buddy," Tanner answered Tessa's question.

"Gotcha," Tessa relaxed after receiving this new info. For a hot second, she thought Mariah might have been flirting with him but she realized now that she was just being friendly to someone she knew. "Do you collect setlists from shows?" she asked Mariah.

"No but my friend Kay collects ALO setlists so I'm getting it for her. But I'm keeping your setlist for myself," Mariah said. "Maybe I'll get lucky and you'll sign it for me."

"Oh, you'll definitely get lucky and I'll also sign it for you," Tessa flirted with the redhead in her arms.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Mariah joked.

"Nope, you're the first," Tessa stroked Mariah's hair as she gazed into the redhead's eyes.

And hopefully the last, Mariah thought to herself as she got lost in Tessa's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs mentioned are Lady Loop, Ridin' and Dead Still Dance all by ALO


	11. Chapter 11

Tessa, Mariah, Tanner and Emily were having a great time dancing together up front while ALO played to a bigger crowd than they had the night before. As they played the final notes of their second song, 'Shapeshifter', Mariah decided now was the time to make a break for it. "Hey guys, I'm going to run to the bathroom. Back in a few," Mariah told her friends.

"I'll come with you," Tessa quickly jumped at the opportunity to be alone with Mariah even if just for a few minutes.

"Nope. We can't be trusted to be alone in a room together and you still have a show to play tonight," Mariah stated firmly.

"Fine," Tessa said dejectedly. "Hurry back?" she asked hopefully.

"You won't even know I'm gone," Mariah promised before giving Tessa a quick kiss.

"I think I'll go with you Mariah," Emily said now that the band started playing their next song. Neither woman would be sad to miss it.

"Great," Mariah said then turned to blaze a trail through the crowd with Emily right behind her.

When they broke free from the crowd, Emily finally had a chance to ask Mariah the question she'd been wanting to ask her all day. "What was it like having sex with a woman?" Emily queried curiously.

"Honestly? It was mind blowing. Not only was it the best sex I've ever had but it also felt completely natural, like I've been sleeping with women for years," Mariah told her friend.

"The best you've ever had, huh? I'm really happy for you Mariah. So, no awkwardness at all? Not even when it came to going downtown?" Emily didn't particularly enjoy giving blow jobs and knew Mariah felt the same way so she was interested in how Mariah felt about going down on a woman.

Mariah laughed as she pushed open the bathroom door. "No, I loved it. In fact, it was my favorite part. I don't want to get too graphic so I'll just say women are scrumptious and leave it at that," Mariah winked at Emily before stepping into a stall.

Mariah tucked her present for Tessa into her bra then peed. She was at the sink washing her hands when Emily finished and joined her.

"Maybe you can tell Tanner about your new favorite sexual activity and feel free to be as graphic as you'd like about how much you enjoy it," Emily said as she soaped up.

"Happily. What's your main complaint?" Mariah asked the blond as she dried her hands.

"Frequency. His technique is on point on the few occasions he feels inclined to do it," Emily had brought this topic up with Tanner several times but nothing ever came of it.

"Got it. You can count on me," Mariah held the door open for Emily and followed her out of the bathroom. "I'll have a private chat with him during Jack's set."

"Thanks Mariah, you're the best," Emily pulled Mariah to her for a quick hug before they wove their way back through the crowd to their lovers.

"You're back," Tessa smiled real big when she saw Mariah. "You missed a whole song."

"Did I miss it or was my bathroom break perfectly timed?" Mariah countered, winking at the taller woman.

"Ah, you don't care for 'Waiting for Jaden', do you?" Tessa guessed. If she was being honest, the song hadn't really done much for her.

"Not so much. Please don't tell any of the guys I said that though. It's about the birth of Zach's oldest daughter so it's very special to them but I just don't like the song," Mariah shared her thoughts on the matter.

"Your secret is safe with me," Tessa assured Mariah, then they began dancing again.

Mariah tapped Tessa on the shoulder as the band got to the audience participation section of 'Lady Loop'. "Time for you to go. 'Ridin'' is up after this next song," she told Tessa when the dark haired woman leaned her head closer to Mariah.

"Okay. I'll come back here when I'm done," Tessa told Mariah then leaned in for a kiss.

Mariah returned Tessa's kiss while she reached into her bra to retrieve her gift for Tessa. She tucked the item into one of the front pockets of Tessa's pants. "Keep those safe for me."

"What did you put in there?" Tessa asked curiously.

"My panties," Mariah said with a cheeky wink.

Tessa's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "You, you're going commando right now?" Tessa was truly surprised by this.

"Yup. Now you better motor," Mariah smirked and watched her befuddled lover make her way backstage.

When 'Dead Still Dance' finished, Dan stepped up to his mic. "Thanks everyone. We're going to bring our friend Tessa Porter out to sing this next song with us," he told the crowd. The crowd cheered as Tessa stepped onto the stage and walked over to the mic near Dan's. Tessa locked eyes with Mariah and smiled at the redhead, who returned the smile.

The crowd clapped loudly when the song ended and Dan stepped up to his mic again. "Thanks. And let's thank Tessa Porter for lending her fantastic vocals to the song," he addressed the crowd. Another hearty round of applause erupted along with a few loud cheers. Tessa smiled and waved to the crowd before exiting the stage.

Tessa rejoined the group up front about halfway through 'Blew Out The Walls'. The threesome was dancing up a storm when she arrived. She tapped Mariah on the shoulder then leaned down to speak into her ear once the shorter woman turned to face her. "You will be punished for that later," Tessa guaranteed the redhead.

"Promise?" Mariah asked seductively.

"You can bet on it," Tessa vowed, pulling Mariah to her for a searing kiss. She felt satisfied with the disoriented look on Mariah's face when she pulled away from the kiss.

The song ended, the crowd applauded and Zach spoke into his mic, "Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure to play for you tonight. That's the end of our set but don't go anywhere because Tessa Porter plays next." More clapping and cheers came from the crowd. The band walked off stage and the house lights came on.

"Come to my dressing room with me?" Tessa whispered into Mariah's ear.

"Sure. I will. After your set," Mariah replied.

"No. I meant now," Tessa clarified the timetable of her request.

"I know what you meant but you are going to have to wait my dear," Mariah reaffirmed her earlier statement.

"Tease," Tessa said with a small frown.

"I guess my punishment will need to be extreme," Mariah was looking forward to whatever punishment Tessa saw fit to dole out.

"And it starts with me keeping your panties," Tessa smiled sweetly before moving to chat with Tanner and Emily.

"Your voice was a great fit on 'Ridin'' Tessa," Emily said to the musician.

"Thanks. It's a great song," Tessa replied as Mariah snuck her hand into Tessa's front pocket in search of her undies.

"What makes you think I'd leave them somewhere you could easily access?" Tessa turned her head to address her handsy lover.

"Please just give them back Tessa," Mariah implored.

"What's going on here?" Tanner was watching them with amusement. Fifty bucks it was something sexual, he thought to himself.

"I'll let Mariah tell you about it. I have to get going now," Tessa told Tanner, then pulled Mariah into her arms for a deep passionate kiss. When she ended the kiss, she whispered into Mariah's ear, "Meet me in my dressing room after my set." And with that parting comment she strode to the back stairs, leaving a dazed Mariah to explain her missing panties to her friends.

"So, are you going to tell us what that was all about?" Tanner asked the redhead.

"Um, yeah but not now. I'll tell you during Jack's set. Now, I'm going to visit the restroom before Tessa takes the stage," Mariah told Tanner.

"Hey, I'll come with you," Emily said to Mariah and followed her off the floor.

"Do I have to wait until Jack's set too?" Emily asked Mariah as they walked to the bathroom.

"No. I just didn't want Tanner to know I'm currently going commando," Mariah admitted to her friend.

Emily laughed out loud at Mariah's admission, "And how did that happen?"

"I took them off when we went to the bathroom and slipped them into Tessa's pocket right before she joined the guys on stage to tease her. Jokes on me though because she's refusing to give them back until after her set," Mariah hadn't accounted for that possibility when she hatched her plan.

"I'm liking Tessa more and more. You totally deserved that," Emily chuckled at Tessa getting the upper hand.

"I know," Mariah shook her head knowing she had only herself to blame for her current predicament. "Do you need to use the restroom or were you just in this for the story?" Mariah asked Emily as they reached the door.

"Just the story. I'll wait out here for you," Emily leaned against the wall opposite the bathroom to wait.

Mariah went in and entered a stall. She cleaned herself up, washed and dried her hands, then returned to Emily. They stopped for beers before rejoining Tanner. A few minutes later the house lights went down, letting the crowd know Tessa's set was about to start.

Tessa walked on stage and was happy to see most of the ALO crowd was there for her set. "Good evening. Is everyone having a good time so far?" she addressed the crowd after stepping up to the mic. The crowd cheered and clapped to let her know they were in fact having a good time. "That's great. Let's see if we can keep the good time going," Tessa hoped she wouldn't disappoint the crowd. She sought out Mariah and winked at her when their eyes locked. Mariah winked back and mouthed 'You got this baby' to her. Tessa felt her nerves settle down and she began playing 'If You're Not Busy'.

Mariah sang along with Tessa as she swayed to the music. While she knew it was impossible because Tessa had written this song long before they met, something about the lyrics made her feel like the song was somehow about her and Tessa. This thought made her smile. She clapped and cheered loudly when the song ended. It sounded like the crowd was feeling Tessa too so Mariah turned around to take in the sea of smiling faces. Her heart soared at the sight. She really hoped this would lead to great things for Tessa's music career. She was so talented and her songs were beautiful.

Several songs later, Emily leaned close to Mariah and said. "Her music is really good. Even Tanner said he's digging this 'chick music'. His words, not mine."

"Maybe he'll expand his music appreciation beyond jam bands," Mariah said in response.

"Maybe but don't hold your breath. I've pretty much given up trying to help him in that area," Emily shook her head in resignation.

"You'd think his musical horizon would be more expansive considering he writes about it for a living," Mariah laughed softly. Tanner's articles were always so passionate but maybe that was because he truly enjoyed the music all the artists he wrote about put out.

"You'd think," Emily agreed before taking a few sips of her beer. 

Tanner chose that moment to insert himself between the two women and wrap his arms around both of their shoulders. "Your girl is really great," Tanner said as he smiled down at Mariah.

"She's not my girl," Mariah protested Tanner's choice of words. "But I agree that she's really great."

"Maybe not yet but I predict she will be in the future. The two of you already act like a couple," Tanner declared before letting out a whoop as Tessa finished the song she had been playing.

"Thanks for sticking with me everyone," Tessa said into the mic. "My final song of the night is a cover and it goes out to Mariah. I hope you all enjoy it."

"Not your girl, huh?" Tanner chuckled and nudged Mariah.

"Leave her be Tanner. Let her enjoy the song," Emily chastised her man lightly even though she agreed with him about where Mariah and Tessa were headed.

Mariah instantly recognized the song by one of her favorite artists when Tessa began playing her guitar. She met Tessa's eyes and gave her a sexy smile. Tessa responded with a sexy smile of her own, then began singing Ani DiFranco's 'Shameless'.

Tanner and Emily exchanged knowing looks with each other as Tessa sang. Mariah was quite obviously enjoying the song as were the rest of the audience. Tessa was rocking the hell out of her guitar while belting out the lyrics.

The crowd went wild when Tessa finished playing. Mariah turned to her friends, "I gotta go now. Catch you guys later." She didn't wait for a response, just made a beeline for the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs mentioned in this chapter:
> 
> Shapeshifter, Waiting for Jaden, Lady Loop, Ridin', Dead Still Dance and Blew Out The Walls all by ALO.
> 
> If You're Not Busy by Cait Fairbanks
> 
> Shameless by Ani DiFranco


	12. Chapter 12

Mariah had her hand raised to knock on Tessa's dressing room door when it swung open revealing a slightly sweaty and clearly aroused Tessa.

"Come here," Tessa's voice was thick with desire. Mariah immediately obeyed her instruction and walked in. Tessa shut the door firmly and pushed Mariah against the wall. Mariah let out a soft moan before Tessa's lips captured hers in an intense kiss.

Mariah slid her tongue into Tessa's mouth to tangle with her lover's own fleshy organ. Tessa pushed Mariah's dress up over her hips then nudged her legs apart with her knee. "Please Tessa," Mariah was so ready for Tessa and needed the musician inside her desperately.

Tessa brought two of her fingers to Mariah's entrance and slipped them inside. She thrust into Mariah repeatedly, increasing her speed with each stroke until Mariah was panting uncontrollably. When Mariah's body told Tessa her lover was close to climaxing, she reclaimed the redhead's mouth with her own to help muffle Mariah's inevitable shout of exultation.

Mariah's cry of delight was mostly absorbed by the lip-lock Tessa had her in. She clung to the taller woman as her orgasm pulsated throughout her form. Before she could fully recover, Tessa dropped to her knees and buried her face in Mariah's pussy. "Shit!" Mariah hissed out when Tessa's tongue slithered inside her. She put her hands on the back of Tessa's head and pulled her closer.

Tessa moaned into Mariah causing the redhead to thrust her hips forward. She took advantage of the space this movement created between the wall and Mariah's bare ass, digging her hands into plump cheeks. Tessa continued to feast on Mariah, slowly raising her lover's excitement level. When she thought Mariah was close, she drew her clit into her mouth and sucked energetically until Mariah came.

Mariah bit down on her hand when she climaxed to muffle her scream. Tessa got up off of her knees and gave her a wet kiss. Mariah held Tessa to her lips when the taller woman started to pull back and deepened the kiss. Tessa melted into Mariah and enthusiastically returned her kiss. Mariah moved her hands to the front of Tessa's pants, undoing the button and drawing down the zipper. She slid her hands into the sides of Tessa's pants between her undies and bare skin, then drew the garments down her long legs. She slipped the singer's shoes off and helped her step out of the clothing. She turned Tessa around so she was against the wall now, grabbed her by the hips and pulled her wet pussy to her mouth. Mariah licked Tessa like she was a triple scoop ice cream cone on a hot day, circling around the bottom scoop then licking paths from bottom to top on all sides, darting her tongue out to catch rogue drops trying to fall.

Tessa was so close, what Mariah was doing with her mouth was driving her mad with delight. Tessa covered her own mouth with both hands when her orgasm struck to keep her screams from being audible to anyone outside of the room.

Mariah stood up and pulled Tessa into her arms, then kissed her softly on the lips. "I want you to turn around, put your hands on the wall above your head and spread your legs," Mariah's voice was low and rumbly when she articulated her request.

"Yes ma'am, " Tessa responded eagerly and quickly complied with Mariah's instructions. Mariah reached between Tessa's legs from behind her, touching her clit briefly before moving her fingers down to her opening and gently sliding two of them inside.

"Does this feel good for you?" Mariah checked in with her lover before going further.

"Yes, it feels great. Fuck me hard and fast this time, okay?" Tessa's body was aflame with desire.

"It will be my absolute pleasure," Mariah's first few thrusts weren't very fast so she could get a sense of how hard she could go. When she felt confident she wasn't hurting Tessa, she increased the tempo of her thrusts into the taller woman.

Tessa felt her climax coming but needed both hands to brace herself while Mariah fucked her. Thinking quickly, she replaced one of her hands on the wall with her elbow, reached into her blouse and pulled Mariah's panties out of her bra then stuffed them into her mouth. With her makeshift gag in place she once again braced herself with both hands. Mariah's fingers were pumping in and out of her so fast she thought she might combust.

Mariah snaked her free hand around Tessa's waist then slid it down to finger her clit. A minute later Tessa tensed up, her vaginal walls tightening around Mariah's fingers effectively stopping her movements. The dark haired woman's head fell forward and she released muffled grunts at the same moment her pussy released its hold on Mariah. Mariah pulled her fingers out of Tessa and wrapped both arms around her lover's trembling body. Once Tessa's breathing evened out, Mariah turned the taller woman around to face her and couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her lips. "Are those my panties in your mouth?" she asked Tessa as she reached up to remove the article of clothing from her lover's mouth.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that. I knew I was going to be loud when I came so I had to think fast. You can wear mine if I slobbered too much on yours," Tessa offered contritely.

Mariah shook the panties and gave them the once over before replying. "They don't seem too bad but I might wear yours anyway," Mariah winked at Tessa then pulled her close for a gentle kiss.

"That's fair," Tessa said softly before snuggling into Mariah's embrace. "Mariah, I want to tell you..." Tessa trailed off mid sentence, changing her mind about sharing her feelings with Mariah.

"Tell me what?" Mariah encouraged her lover as she stroked Tessa's hair.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything," Tessa tried to dismiss what she had intended to say. She lifted her head off Mariah's shoulder and leaned in to kiss her but the shorter woman pulled back before she could.

Mariah cupped Tessa's cheek with her hand and looked her directly in the eyes when she spoke. "Tessa, I know we just met last night but I want you to know you can tell me anything," Mariah hoped Tessa could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I don't want to scare you away and I'm not even sure what it is I want to say," Tessa stated apprehensively.

"I don't scare easily so just say whatever is on your mind," Mariah did her best to reassure Tessa.

"Okay," Tessa conceded. "I should probably put my pants back on first though," she said with a wry smile.

"Good idea," Mariah agreed, then bent down to retrieve Tessa's pants and underwear from the floor.

The two of them cleaned themselves up and redressed, each wearing the others' panties. They sat down on the couch, turned inward to face one another.

Mariah grasped one of Tessa's hands between her own and gently stroked the top of it with her thumb, "I'm listening so whenever you are ready, go ahead and tell me what's on your mind."

Tessa smiled appreciatively at Mariah's kind demeanor and took a deep breath before speaking. "I wanted to tell you that I feel incredibly close to you. And I don't just mean on a physical level but also on an emotional one. I know it defies logic because we just met and know very little about each other but it's how I feel. In a way, I feel like I've known you all my life. Okay, I just heard how crazy that sounds and yet it's the truth. I'm sorry if I'm not making sense or if I'm coming on too strong. I just, I've never felt this way before and I'm not sure what to make of it," Tessa searched Mariah's eyes for signs of alarm but only saw attentiveness. "How do you feel about what I just told you?" she asked the redhead.

"Honestly, I feel conflicted. My default is to crack a joke when I'm nervous or uncomfortable, both of which apply now. However, the truth is I feel exactly the same way about you and don't want to make light of that at all. Somehow you managed to embed yourself so deeply in my psyche that I can't imagine you not being in my life. But that also scares the crap out of me because I've never been in a healthy romantic relationship. Hell, I'm not even sure I know what that looks like as I didn't have any examples of the sort around me growing up. And the fact that I'm even talking about us like we are already in a relationship sounds bonkers. I mean, why would I think this is anything more than just a fun fling? Maybe I'm confusing the best sex of my life for romantic feelings. I'm not trying to diminish anything we've shared to this point, I'm just trying to sort through all my jumbled thoughts on the subject. I'm getting too heavy, aren't I? Did I make this weird?" Mariah always realized too late when she was revealing too much of what she was feeling. It was probably because for most of her life she never discussed her feelings with anyone.

"No Mariah, you didn't make this weird, it just is weird," Tessa acknowledged the situation they both found themselves in. What I mean by that is I also think I'm developing romantic feelings for you and can picture being in a relationship with you. But my past romantic relationships haven't prepared me for what I'm feeling now. It's not that they were all unhealthy but they were mostly polyamorous. So the fact that I already don't want to share you with anyone else is completely foreign to me. The more time I spend with you the more I like you and I know it can't always be sunshine and roses. I'm sure you have skeletons in your closet and I damn sure have some in mine but I want to know everything about you and I want you to know everything about me, good and bad. I've never wanted that with anyone before, I usually only show people what I want them to see and not who I really am. You make me feel like I can be unapologetically me. Shit, I think I'm going to cry. I'm so sorry," Tessa covered her face with her hands as tears started streaming from her eyes.

"Oh baby, come here," Mariah felt tears well up in her eyes as she pulled her sobbing lover into her arms. "You never need to apologize to me for showing emotion."

The two women cried together, holding one another tightly. Eventually their tears subsided and they pulled apart enough to look into each other's eyes.

"Well, we're quite the pair aren't we?" Mariah said with a small smile as she brushed remaining tears from Tessa's cheeks.

"We sure are," Tessa laughed softly. "So, what now? Where do we go from here?"

"I wish I knew. The only thing I'm sure of is that I want to keep seeing you and get to know you better. Is that enough for now?" Mariah held her breath as she awaited Tessa's response.

"I want that too. And yes, it's enough for now," Tessa assured Mariah that they were on the same page. She drew Mariah closer and kissed her lips tenderly. "We should probably get back out there and let the joyous vibes permeate our unexpected melancholy."

"Good idea," Mariah kissed the tip of Tessa's nose then stood up. She held her hand out to help Tessa up.

Tessa accepted Mariah's proffered hand and stood up as well. "I need to talk to Jenna for a few minutes first. Do you want to come with me or should I join you downstairs when I'm done?"

"Meet me downstairs. I promised Emily I'd do her a favor so I need like ten minutes alone with Tanner," Mariah told Tessa.

"Do I want to know what the favor is?" Tessa asked.

"I'll tell you after I talk to him," Mariah promised.

"Okay, see you soon," Tessa opened her dressing room door and they walked out. She gave the redhead a quick kiss then watched her walk toward the stairs before heading in the direction of ALO's dressing room to find Jenna.


	13. Chapter 13

Mariah found Tanner and Emily exactly where she thought she would, hanging out by the soundboard. Jack's set had already begun when she arrived downstairs. Emily excused herself to hit the head and get more beers for everyone shortly after Mariah showed up in order to give her time to talk to Tanner alone.

"So, are you going to tell me what was going on between you and Tessa earlier?" Tanner was very curious at this point.

"Oh, yeah. Before she left us to sing with ALO, I slipped my panties into her pants pocket. What you witnessed was her refusing to give them back to me until after her set," Mariah told her friend.

"Wait, you mean the panties you were wearing tonight or an extra pair?" Tanner was seeing a side of Mariah he hadn't seen before. He found it confusing and hilarious at the same time.

"The ones I was wearing," Mariah said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So, you were freeballing for her entire set?" Tanner asked. He was so going to tease her about this every chance he got.

"Well, I don't have balls but yeah I was," Mariah admitted with a chuckle.

"Tessa is my hero for turning the tables on you. You got them back though, right? Like, you're wearing them now," Tanner really hoped Mariah would answer in the affirmative.

"Yes and no. I have panties on now but they aren't mine," Mariah answered Tanner's question honestly.

"Is that some sort of kinky thing, wearing each others undies?" a mental picture of him trying to squeeze into Em's panties made Tanner laugh. He'd bet good money that Em would look sexy as hell in his boxers.

"Could be. Not sure but that's not why we switched," Mariah did find it sexy to be wearing Tessa's panties so maybe it was a kinky thing to do.

"Then why?" Tanner really wanted to know the reason. 

"Tessa offered to switch because she used mine to," Mariah paused thinking she probably shouldn't share this particular detail, "I should keep the exact reason why between the two of us so I'll just say mine got wet when we were in her dressing room after her set."

"You had sex in her dressing room? When did you become so insatiable Mariah?" Tanner shook his head in amazement.

"Pretty much two seconds after I went down on Tessa for the first time. If I had known how delicious pussy was, I would have had sex with women long before now," Mariah jumped on the opening she had been waiting for. "Why didn't you ever share that info with me?"

"I don't know. Is that really an appropriate thing for me to talk to you about?" Tanner replied before downing the remainder of his beer.

"Since when do we worry about being appropriate when we talk? Shit, wasn't it only a few weeks ago that you were telling me how much you like it when Em cradles-," Mariah was cut off by Tanner's hand clamping over her mouth. She gave him a death stare and he quickly removed his hand.

"You made your point. I guess I never mentioned it because I don't do it that often," Tanner admitted to his friend.

"And that's because Em doesn't really like it when you do?" Mariah already knew the answer to her question but needed to get to the heart of the matter with Tanner.

"No, she always enjoys it when I do. She comes every time and you know she doesn't fake orgasms," Tanner tossed his empty cup into a nearby trash can.

"Tanner, if I didn't like you so much, I would be kicking you in the nuts right now. I can't believe you aren't taking care of Em in bed. She's an amazing person and deserves to be treated as such. Give me one good reason for not going down on her every time you have sex," Mariah challenged her sometimes clueless friend.

"I get weirded out because my dick was just in there. I mean, I wear a condom every time so there is a barrier but just the thought kind of grosses me out," Tanner thought he would feel uncomfortable talking to Mariah about this but he didn't. Maybe it was because she was so jazzed about eating pussy and he would like to feel that way too. He just needed to find a way to get out of his head when he was doing it.

"Okay, now we are finally getting somewhere. Have you ever kissed Em after going down on her?" Mariah asked.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Tanner wasn't sure what that had to do with his issue.

"What do you think she tastes when you do?" Mariah could see she was going to have to walk Tanner through this.

The confused look on his face turned to one of realization when Tanner figured out what Mariah was getting at. "She tastes herself," he replied.

"Exactly. And, has she ever kissed you after blowing you?" Mariah thought Tanner seemed to be figuring it out.

"Yeah, all the time actually," Tanner spoke slowly as full realization was dawning on him. "So, when she does that, I'm tasting myself."

"Ding, ding, ding. Give the boy a prize. I'm going to guess neither one of you felt physically ill after those kisses, correct?" Mariah was almost certain she was correct.

"Correct. In fact, our desire for one another usually increases after. Oh my god Mariah, I'm such a fucking idiot! I can't believe I've been so stupid and that Em hasn't dumped me," Tanner smacked himself on the head. He needed to make this right. "Thank you Mariah! I'll never be able to repay you for helping me get over my ridiculousness," Tanner hugged his friend to him tightly to show his immense gratitude.

"There is nothing to repay Tanner, just take care of your girl," Mariah was happy to help her friends out with this issue. They had both always been there for her, listening and offering advice when she had problems to work out.

"I will, I swear," Tanner promised as he released Mariah. "Speaking of my girl, where is she? She's been gone a while," Tanner scanned the area between them and the door to the lobby for Emily but didn't see her.

******************************************************

When Tessa reached the lobby at the bottom of the stairs, she saw Emily get in line for drinks. She decided to join her instead of heading in to look for Mariah. "Hi Emily. On a drink run?" she asked the blond after greeting her.

"Hi Tessa!" Emily returned the taller woman's salutation. "Yeah, getting more beers for everyone. You want one too?"

"Sure. How about I stay and help you carry them?" Tessa offered.

"That would be great because I'd like to get a couple extra for Jacob and the other sound guy, forgot his name," Emily liked to look out for the crew since they always did a fantastic job.

"His name is Mike and that's really nice of you," Tessa was happy to see people appreciating the crew as well as the artists. They worked just as hard as the performers but were mostly overlooked by concert goers.

"The ALO family is a pretty tight-knit community," Emily stated simply. "You'll get a better sense of it after spending more time with us."

"I'm looking forward to that. It goes without saying that I'm super happy to have met Mariah but I'm also really happy I met you and Tanner. I've enjoyed hanging out with you both and hope to spend more time with you guys before leaving Europe," Tessa smiled genuinely at her new friend.

"We feel the same way about meeting you. We'll make time in Amsterdam. I think we are even staying in the same apartment building," Emily told Tessa as she pulled out some money and stepped up to the bar. She ordered six beers then turned to Tessa, "Wanna do a shot with me before we go back in?"

"Sure," Tessa was finished playing tonight so she could drink what she wanted now.

"Tequila?" Emily suggested.

"Works for me," Tessa handed Emily money to cover half their drink tab. She helped Emily move the drinks to the side so the next person in line could step up and order. They each picked up a shot and clinked the glasses together.

"To nothing but good vibes," Emily said.

"I'll drink to that," Tessa agreed with Emily's toast and they both tossed back their shots.

The women gathered the beers in their hands and headed in to meet up with Mariah and Tanner. They found their lovers with their arms wrapped around each others' waists, swaying to the music. When Mariah and Tanner saw them, they both came rushing over.

"Let us help you with those," Tanner and Mariah said simultaneously and each grabbed the balanced cup from the ladies' hands.

"Thanks," Tessa and Emily said at the same time. "I'll be right back, just going to give these to Jacob and Mike," Emily said to the others.

"I'll go with. I want to thank them for the last two nights," Tessa told Emily.

The two of them delivered the beers to the guys and Tessa expressed her gratitude for the great job they did with the sound the last two nights. They rejoined Tanner and Mariah when they were finished.

"Thanks for the beers ladies," Tanner and Mariah were in unison yet again.

"You're welcome Frick and Frack," Emily rolled her eyes at the duo in front of her.

"Would you like to dance m'dear?" Tanner asked Emily as he bowed before her and held out his hand.

"I'd love to," Emily accepted Tanner's hand and they began slow dancing. She caught Mariah's eye and the redhead winked at her. Emily winked back at her friend.

Tessa saw this exchange and figured it had something to do with that favor Mariah mentioned earlier. Seeing how willing Mariah was to help her friends made Tessa like her even more. It was no wonder that all of Mariah's friends seemed to love her endlessly. She pulled the redhead into her arms and pressed their lips together lightly.

Mariah kissed her back, nibbling on her lower lip gently after sucking it into her mouth. Tessa moaned softly and wove her free hand into Mariah's hair. Mariah released Tessa's lip and slid her tongue inside her lover's mouth. The kiss was deep and sensuous but also rife with unchecked emotions. Mariah felt even safer expressing her feelings with Tessa now that they had verbally acknowledged them to one another. When the kiss finally ended, Mariah gazed into Tessa's eyes unabashedly.

Tessa's heart beat rapidly as she confidently returned Mariah's intense gaze. It was almost as if they were looking directly into each other's souls. This both frightened and calmed Tessa, if that was even possible. So many thoughts were swirling around in her head that she felt sure a song would materialize from them at some point. How was it that she was so completely bewitched by Mariah? Sure she was gorgeous, funny and fun to be around. And sexy as hell, don't forget that. She was also caring and kind but bold and speaks her mind. And the way she enjoys life, it was infectious.

"Am I tasting tequila?" Mariah's question broke through Tessa's reverie.

"Yeah. Emily and I did shots at the bar," Tessa filled Mariah in on her earlier activity.

"Seems like the two of you have taken to each other," Mariah noted happily.

"I really like her and Tanner. They are a fun couple and I hope I can get to know them better in Amsterdam," Tessa took a healthy swig of her beer. Steve walked up and motioned for them to lean closer. 

"Want to join me upstairs for a smoke break?" Steve asked loud enough for them to hear over the music.

Mariah looked at Tessa to see if she was game. Tessa nodded her head in the affirmative. "Sure. Grab those lovebirds and let's go," Mariah nodded her head toward Tanner and Emily.

"On it," Steve said and walked over to the couple.

"Oh, let me grab those set lists before I forget," Mariah told Tessa before catching Jacob's eye. He handed the set lists to her and she let him know they were smoking upstairs if he was able to take a break. Since Mike was Jack's guy, Jacob was free to join them.

The six of them headed upstairs to ALO's dressing room, shutting the door behind them after entering. Tessa, Mariah and Jacob sat on one couch while Tanner, Emily and Steve sat on the other. Steve lit the joint, took a puff and passed it to Emily. Emily hit the joint then handed it to Tanner.

"You know what? I think we're all staying in the same apartment building in Amsterdam," Steve said to no one in particular, just everyone in the room. Tanner took a hit and passed the joint to Jacob.

"I think you're right Steve. Tanner and I are staying in the apartment on the top floor. I think Mariah is staying in the apartment below that one," Emily sipped her beer after speaking.

"Yep. I'm staying on the 3rd floor. I guess it's just one big open space with a bathroom, a little living room area by the windows overlooking the canal and eight single beds between the living area and the kitchen. Jacob, aren't you staying in that apartment as well?" Mariah asked him as he passed the joint to Tessa. Jacob just nodded yes since he had just hit the j.

Tessa passed the joint to Mariah and quietly asked her to blow the smoke in her face so she might get a little contact buzz. "I'm staying in the 3rd floor apartment as well," she said to the group.

Tanner started laughing and patted Jacob on the shoulder, "Poor Jacob here isn't going to get any sleep in Amsterdam."

Everyone laughed at that except Mariah, Tessa and Jacob. Mariah was otherwise occupied slowly exhaling smoke into Tessa's face and Tessa was busy inhaling that smoke through her nose. Neither of them even heard what Tanner had said nor did they hear Jacob's reply.

Jacob didn't laugh because he had no idea what Tanner was referring to, " Am I missing something? Why wouldn't I get any sleep? Does Tessa snore?"

"I don't know. Mariah, does Tessa snore?" Tanner asked his friend.

"I'm not sure. Not that I know of," Mariah wasn't sure why Tanner was asking her that. She must have missed some of the conversation when she was hitting the j.

"I don't snore," Tessa chimed in. "Who's saying I snore?"

"No one is. Tanner just insinuated to Jacob that the two of you will keep him from getting any sleep in Amsterdam. Not that he's wrong," Steve said before taking another hit when the joint came back his way.

"I...We can be quiet," Tessa protested. She wasn't willing to commit to not having sex with Mariah while they were sharing a room with others. That had certainly never stopped her before.

"Tessa, do you not realize you are staying in the room right next to mine back at the hotel?" Steve asked the dark haired woman.

"You heard us?" Mariah could feel her face start to redden.

"Fuck Tessa! Fuck! Fuck! Yes, I heard you," Steve teased Mariah as payback for all the times she would comment about the ceiling in her bedroom shaking when he stayed over in Melissa's room.

"On an unrelated note, what time do you think you'll be getting back to your room tonight?" Tessa asked in an attempt to steer attention away from Mariah and onto herself.

Everyone laughed at that and Mariah squeezed Tessa's knee gratefully.

"Personally, I can think of far worse things to keep me up than that so don't worry about me ladies," Jacob said to the women seated next to him. "I can't speak for the others staying in that apartment though."

"So, is everyone staying for the party after tonight's show is over?" Tanner asked his friends after passing the doobie to Jacob.

"I am," Jacob replied before taking another puff of the joint.

"Same here," Steve added as he rolled another joint for the group.

"Not me. I'm catching a shuttle to the airport at 4:30am," Mariah told Tanner as she accepted the joint from Tessa.

"Play through Mariah. I know you are more than capable of pulling that off," Tanner countered Mariah's weak excuse for skipping the party.

"I intend to do just that but not here," Mariah answered before taking a deep drag of the joint in her hand.

"I see. Guess that means you're also skipping the party Tessa?" Tanner addressed the musician currently snuggled up to Mariah.

"Yeah. I'm going with Mariah to the airport so I'll be playing through with her," Tessa replied as she stroked Mariah's arm lazily. She felt herself getting sad at the thought of being away from Mariah so she pushed it down and focused on enjoying the final hours they had together before Mariah's flight left.

"The airport Mariah? How romantic. Will your next date be at the local dump?" Tanner couldn't resist ribbing his friend considering she and Tessa were so into one another that their surroundings were irrelevant.

"Very funny Tanner. You know damn well that I save the date at the dump for the 1st anniversary," Mariah quipped.

"Dang it Mariah, now I won't be surprised," Tessa joined in on the fun.

"Damn, you are adorable," Mariah kissed the tip of Tessa's nose lightly. 

"Something's changed between the two of you since before the show started, hasn't it?" Steve asked Mariah and Tessa. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. They still were very much into each other but they seemed more emotionally intimate now as well.

"I see it too Steve," Emily agreed with his assessment.

"Well, I know one thing that's changed since then. Or, should I say two things, right Mariah?" Tanner knew he would never tire of bringing up the panties situation.

"Hey Em, would you do me a favor and smack Tanner upside his head please?" Mariah asked her friend.

"Happily," Emily replied as her hand made contact with the back of her boyfriend's head.

"Ow! Why are women always hitting me?" Tanner complained as he rubbed his head.

"'Tis a mystery," Mariah replied with a satisfied grin.


	14. Chapter 14

After finishing the second joint Steve had rolled, the group of six went downstairs and hit up the bar for shots. Tessa and Mariah said their goodbyes to the others after that. It took about fifteen minutes because most of them were drunk and high at this point so everyone was being extra sappy like they weren't going to see each other for years instead of a couple of weeks. When the two women finally stepped outside, they both paused for a moment to breathe in the cold night air.

"Walk or cab?" Tessa asked Mariah.

"Walk," Mariah answered, taking Tessa's hand in her own.

"Great choice," Tessa responded and they started the twenty-five minute walk back to her hotel room.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Tessa spoke. "So, what's this trip about for you? I had assumed it was for the tour until I learned you won't be at the next few shows."

"I'm at a crossroads when it comes to a career so I thought backpacking around Europe for six weeks might give me a new perspective that would help me to figure that out. I didn't find out until I was already planning my trip that ALO was going to be touring here at the same time. I was able to rearrange parts of my trip so I could come to eight shows without having to give up any of the places I was planning to visit," Mariah was feeling pretty good now, her high was still in full effect but the cool air was helping to dissipate her drunkenness.

"Is there something in particular you'd like to do for a living?" Tessa dropped Mariah's hand and slipped her arm around the redhead's waist, pulling her closer.

"I honestly have no idea. I don't have any talent and I'm not particularly good at anything I've done in the past. Well, at least not anything that I enjoyed doing," Mariah slung her arm around Tessa's waist, eliminating the remaining space between their bodies.

"I'm going to have to vehemently disagree with you about not having talent. It's not necessarily a marketable talent unless you want to be a porn star," Tessa said suggestively.

"Me? A porn star? That's laughable," Mariah blushed at Tessa's compliment on her sexual prowess.

"Au contraire ma chérie. You are sexier than an ex of mine who does porn," Tessa stated factually.

"Your ex does porn?" Mariah was definitely intrigued by this piece of information.

"Yes. I even have a signed copy of one of her movies that she gave me as a Christmas gift one year," Tessa said with a chuckle.

"What kind of porn?" Mariah wasn't sure why she was so curious about this. Like most people, she'd seen a few pornos but was never turned on by anything she saw.

"Lesbian. Nothing too kinky that I know of. And most of them feature black women only," Tessa slipped her hand into Mariah's jacket pocket to warm it up a bit.

"Hmmm," Mariah said in response instead of what she wanted to say because she thought it might be super weird of her.

"Hmmm? Out with it Mariah. I can tell you wanted to say something else," Tessa called Mariah out on holding back. She wanted to hear whatever her lover had to say.

"I was going to say I've never seen a lesbian porn and ask if we could watch the one your ex gave you sometime. Is that weird?" Mariah shared her thoughts with Tessa.

"No weirder than her giving it to me and writing 'Happy Humping' on it. Or weirder than me masturbating to it on occasion," Tessa admitted without shame.

"Happy Humping!" Mariah started laughing uncontrollably at that. "Your ex sounds like fun."

"She is. You may even meet her in Amsterdam. Her girlfriend is trying to get a few days off work so they can swing the trip," Tessa was hoping they could make it work, she would love for them both to meet Mariah. Even though her relationship with them didn't work out she loved them both very much and wanted them to meet the fiery redhead she was falling hard for. Wait, what? She would have to ponder that errant thought later.

"Oh, they live somewhere in Europe?" Mariah asked as she assumed no one would endure such a long flight from the states for only a night or two.

"Copenhagen," Tessa replied.

"Did you meet your ex in Denmark?" Mariah inquired.

"No. We all met in Chicago. They moved to Denmark a couple of years ago," Tessa said as they rounded the corner onto the street her hotel was located on.

"Is that why you broke up? She fell for her current girlfriend?" Mariah asked hoping she wasn't being too invasive.

"Yes and no. The three of us were in a relationship and I ended up breaking it off with them when I realized and accepted that I was always going to be the odd man out, so to speak," Tessa stated matter-of-factly. She harbored no ill will toward either woman. After all, you don't choose who you fall in love with. Tessa knew they both loved her but they were never going to be in love with her. And, to be fair, she had never been in love with either of them.

"But you're all cool with each other now, right?" Mariah found it hard to be in a relationship with one person, she couldn't imagine adding one more to the mix.

"Totally cool. I took a time out from being in contact with them for a couple of months to really reconnect with myself and then we renewed our friendship," Tessa held the lobby door open for Mariah when they reached her hotel.

"It's always nice when you can be friends with someone after you break up. What's it like being in a relationship with more than one person?" Mariah took Tessa's hand in her own as they crossed the lobby floor.

"Well, for me, kind of the norm. I've only ever been in one monogamous two person relationship and it only lasted four months. I suppose compared to that kind of traditional relationship, some aspects may be more difficult while others may be easier. For instance instead of taking into consideration the feelings and needs of one other person, you would have two others to consider. If you are going through a difficult time, two people can share your burden versus putting it all on one person. I do know now that I want my next relationship to be monogamous with just one person," Tessa pressed the call button for the elevator.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Mariah inquired.

"It was upon reflecting on the demise of that relationship. I saw how deeply in love with each other they were and it made me realize I wanted that for myself someday. And, when I dug deeper into my previous relationships, it became clear to me that my willingness to be with more than one person at a time was about what my partners wanted and not about what I wanted. Deep down I've always believed that when I meet the right person, I'll only want to be with that person," Tessa stepped onto the elevator after the doors opened and Mariah followed her.

"Have you been looking for that person since the break up?" Mariah asked as the elevator doors closed.

"No. I figured it would happen when it was meant to so I've just tried to remain open to the possibility," Tessa said as the elevator ascended. "Also, in my gut, I felt like I wouldn't meet her in Chicago."

"Did you maybe think you might meet her during this tour?" Mariah instantly regretted asking the question and tried to backpedal immediately. "Disregard that question please. I'm not sure why I even asked you that." The elevator arrived at Tessa's floor at that moment and Mariah hurried off as soon as the doors opened enough for her to do so.

Tessa quickly strode off the elevator and caught up with Mariah outside the door to her room. "Mariah, I'd like to answer the question if you don't mind," Tessa gently grabbed Mariah's hands with her own and searched her face hopefully.

"Okay," Mariah quietly agreed.

"I hadn't given it any thought at all until I laid eyes on an incredibly beautiful redhead at last night's show," Tessa rubbed slow circles on the palms of Mariah's hands with her thumbs as she spoke. "Since that moment, I haven't been able to stop thinking about that possibility."

Mariah's breath caught in her throat at Tessa's admission, partly because of what it implied on Tessa's end and partly because of her own feelings toward the musician. Though they had confessed some of their blossoming feelings for each other earlier this evening, the talk they were having now was hitting Mariah harder. Likely because it wasn't happening in the afterglow of fantastic sex. "Tessa, I want...will you...will you make love to me tonight?" Mariah hoped her distinction was clear to Tessa.

Tessa lifted Mariah's hands to her face and kissed each of her palms. The kisses were soft. They were gentle. And, they conveyed that she did know what Mariah was asking of her. Tessa looked Mariah directly in the eyes and answered her succinctly, "Yes."

"Let's go inside," Mariah smiled adoringly at Tessa.

Tessa opened the door and walked in with Mariah in tow. This time Mariah was the one to put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door handle.

Tessa helped Mariah remove her coat then dispensed with her own. She moved behind Mariah and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman's waist, letting her hands rest on her stomach. Tessa nuzzled her face into Mariah's hair and kissed her softly on the neck. She ran her hands up Mariah's abdomen to gently cup her breasts.

Mariah released a soft moan when Tessa's hands made contact with her breasts. She turned her head in search of Tessa's lips. Her lover moved her head so her lips could easily be reached and Mariah moved in to eliminate the remaining distance between them. They kissed slowly, tenderly. The kiss continued as Tessa moved her hands to the back of Mariah's dress and slowly lowered the zipper.

Tessa finally ended the kiss to push Mariah's dress off her shoulders and let it slide down her body to pool at her feet. She leaned down to kiss Mariah's right shoulder then trailed kisses across her upper back, her hand gently pushing Mariah's red tresses over her left shoulder to clear a path. She stopped midway and took the trail down until she reached the spot just above the clasp of Mariah's bra. Tessa unfastened the bra, one hook at a time, then nudged the straps gently so the bra slid down Mariah's arms and dropped to the floor. She slid her fingertips in between Mariah's skin and her panties then gently drew them down Mariah's toned legs. She helped Mariah step out of the panties and her earlier discarded dress. Tessa kissed her way up the back of Mariah's legs while running her hands slowly up the front of them. By the time she reached Mariah's luscious ass, the redhead was having trouble staying upright. Tessa led Mariah to the bed and gently laid her down. She started to climb on top of Mariah but a small hand stopped her.

"You have me at a complete disadvantage here Tessa," Mariah says and looks pointedly at Tessa's fully clothed body. Before she knew it, Tessa was making an attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record for fastest time getting undressed. And then the breathtakingly beautiful woman is climbing on top of her in all her naked glory.

Tessa presses her naked body flush with Mariah's, reveling in the feeling for a few moments before gently kissing the redhead's full lips. Mariah sighs and parts her lips to welcome Tessa's tongue. Their tongues caress in a sinuous dance. Without breaking the kiss, Tessa rolled them so she was on her back and Mariah was on top of her. She took quick advantage of her newfound access to Mariah's ass, claiming it with her hands and gently squeezing.

Mariah finally ends the kiss so she can use her lips to plant soft wet kisses down Tessa's neck. She continues her downward path until she arrives between Tessa's breasts. She kisses around the circumference of Tessa's right breast then gently sucks her nipple into her mouth. Mariah twirls her tongue around Tessa's nipple slowly and nips it with her teeth ever so slightly. Tessa whispers her name and arches her back while digging her fingers into Mariah's ass. Mariah moves to Tessa's left breast and gives it the same attention she gave the right one.

Tessa watches Mariah as the redhead repositions herself so she is straddling her midsection. She lets her eyes rove over the naked goddess hovering over her, then her hands take over the exploration. She starts at the bottom of Mariah's thighs, slowly running her palms up the front and letting her thumbs trail behind on the inside. She lets her thumbs lightly skim Mariah's outer lips then continues up her abdomen, feeling Mariah's stomach muscles tighten at her touch. When she reaches the redhead's pert breasts, she cups them gently with her palms and slowly teases her nipples erect with the pads of her thumbs. Her lover's breathing gets shallower with every passing second and her arousal is palpable. Tessa abandons Mariah's left breast and runs her right hand down her body until she reaches her wet center. Mariah's eyes close as Tessa dips her finger in between her wet folds. Tessa pauses her movements and calls Mariah's name quietly. The redhead opens her eyes and looks down at Tessa. "I want to look into your eyes when I make love to you," Tessa implored her lover to comply with her request.

Mariah swallowed audibly at the intensity she saw in Tessa's eyes. "Okay," she agreed.

"Thank you," Tessa replied gratefully then she slowly slid two fingers inside Mariah's welcoming warmth. She moved in and out of Mariah deliberately, steadily increasing her lover's desire for release. Mariah continued to look Tessa in the eyes as she moved inside her even though Tessa could tell the redhead was struggling to keep her eyes open. Tessa pinched Mariah's nipple gently causing her to gasp out her name with delight. Tessa brought her free hand to Mariah's core so she could rub her clit while her other hand continued to move inside the shorter woman.

"Oh Tessa," Mariah was so close to the edge now she could almost taste her orgasm. "I'm so close babe. So close," she maintained eye contact, though it was a constant struggle to keep her eyes open.

"Come for me please. I need to feel you tighten around me as your orgasm rocks through your body," Tessa could feel an orgasm of her own clawing its way to the surface. She hadn't climaxed in the past without having been touched but she sensed that was about to change courtesy of the sexy redhead about to come all over her.

"Tessa! Oh god, Tessa!" Mariah cried out as she came, still somehow maintaining eye contact with the beautiful woman underneath her. She let her body slump forward on top of Tessa when the force of her orgasm kept her from remaining upright any longer.

"Mariah!" Tessa cried out her lover's name as her orgasm flooded her body with pleasure. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's trembling form and pulled her closer to her own quivering figure. They stayed like this for several minutes, placing random kisses on each other every so often.

Mariah propped her head up with her hand, resting her elbow on the bed to look at Tessa who was lying next to and under her. "Tessa, did you-?" Mariah didn't even finish her question before Tessa replied.

"Yes, I did," Tessa answered, reaching over to run her fingers through Mariah's long red locks. "You are so beautiful Mariah," Tessa gazed into the redhead's eyes with adoration.

"You're beautiful Tessa. That was incredible. Thank you. You made me feel so..." Mariah stopped before she said something she shouldn't be saying to Tessa.

"Mariah, you don't need to hold back. You can tell me anything," Tessa leaned over to take Mariah's lips in a slow, lingering kiss.

"Loved. You made me feel so loved Tessa," Mariah confessed.

"Good. I wanted you to feel loved," Tessa was still careful with her wording even though her heart had already made a decision for her.

"Would it be alright with you if I returned the favor?" Mariah smiled shyly at Tessa. Tessa's deliberate choice of words told Mariah that her lover was also having the same internal struggle she was. It was too soon. They knew so very little about each other. But it felt like they had always known one another.

"Yes. It would be much more than alright," Tessa ran her hand down Mariah's side, then rested it on her hip.

Mariah slid her hand down Tessa's chest then her stomach to between her legs. She slipped her fingers inside her lips to find Tessa was soaking wet. Tessa moaned softly when she touched her and pushed her hips up slightly. Mariah entered Tessa gently with two fingers and made love to her slowly, softly. She scattered wet kisses across Tessa's stomach then drew her clit into her mouth.

"Mariah. Babe. Oh god!" Tessa's climax rolled through her as Mariah focused all her energy on continuing to pleasure her. The redhead withdrew her fingers then licked her like a cat taking a bath. Tessa writhed in pleasure beneath Mariah's mouth, loving every swipe of her lover's tongue through her wet folds. Before long, she felt another orgasm building within her. She cried out Mariah's name when she came. And then, without warning, she uttered the three words she had been fighting to keep to herself and she couldn't take them back even if she wanted to. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't want to take them back. As scared as she was of Mariah's reaction, saying it felt so right to her.

Mariah stilled her movements when she heard what Tessa said. She looked up at Tessa to see her lover's eyes were closed. She moved from between Tessa's legs to sit beside the taller woman. "Tessa," she said softly to get Tessa's attention. Her lover's eyes fluttered open and met her gaze.

"Mariah, I-" Tessa rose up to sit next to Mariah and started to speak but was stopped by Mariah's finger on her lips.

Mariah looked into Tessa's eyes intently for several moments before speaking. "I love you too Tessa," Mariah said as she smiled lovingly at the dark haired woman.

Tessa released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding when Mariah reciprocated her feelings. This release was followed by another but this time she released tears.

"Babe, why are you crying?" Mariah asked Tessa with evident concern. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know why I'm crying because I've never felt happier than I do right now," Tessa wiped at the tears running down her cheeks and smiled shakily at Mariah.

"So, these are happy tears?" Mariah returned Tessa's smile and pulled the crying woman into her arms. She stroked Tessa's hair and rocked the taller woman gently.

"I guess so," Tessa sniffled then laughed softly. She hugged Mariah to her tightly.

"I've never been happier than I am right now either although it's manifesting differently with me than with you," Mariah pulled back to look Tessa in the eyes. Her tears had ceased and the smile on her face was mirrored in her eyes. She leaned forward to kiss Tessa. The kiss was soft but sure and filled with all the love she felt for the spectacular woman in her arms.

Tessa returned Mariah's kiss with equal fervor. When she ended the kiss, she threw out a proposition to her lover. "Would you like to pop out for a bit and get hot chocolate with me?"

"You know what, I really would," Mariah found the suggestion really appealing and wasn't sure why. She was quite fond of hot chocolate and it was cold outside so it made sense. Though it struck her as an odd and sort of out of left field idea, it also seemed like exactly what they should be doing right now.


	15. Chapter 15

Mariah and Tessa walked hand in hand to a nearby coffee shop that was open late. Tessa held the door open for Mariah when they arrived and the two women walked to the counter to place their order. Tessa ordered two hot chocolates and Mariah added a brownie for them to share to the order.

"Do you want whipped cream on the hot chocolates?" the barista asked them.

"Yes, extra whipped cream on mine please," Mariah replied.

"The same for me please," Tessa told the barista then paid for their items.

"You can go ahead and sit down. I'll bring everything to you when it's ready," the young woman behind the counter told them.

"Thanks," both women replied before heading to a cozy looking corner of the empty coffee shop. They sat down on a plush loveseat with a coffee table in front of it after shedding their coats. Tessa pulled Mariah close to her side and Mariah rested her head on Tessa's shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you so much Mariah," Tessa said as she stroked the shorter woman's hair.

"Me too," Mariah admitted. "Thankfully we live in a time that provides many ways for us to stay in touch while we are apart. We can text, call, email and Skype each other."

"Yeah, I guess I should be thankful about that. But, I can't hold you through Skype," Tessa gave Mariah a squeeze to illustrate her point.

"Well then, we'll both have to try to hold onto this moment so we can relive it when we are wishing to be in each others' arms," Mariah wrapped her arms around Tessa and snuggled further into her shoulder.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise," Tessa replied as Mariah sighed contentedly.

The barista approached them and set the tray she was carrying down on the coffee table. "Ladies, your hot chocolates and brownie have arrived." She removed the mugs and plate from the tray and placed them on the table. "Enjoy," she smiled at them and walked away with the tray.

They thanked the young woman as she took her leave and reluctantly released each other to reach for their drinks. They both took sips of the hot confection then returned their mugs to the table.

Tessa chuckled softly when she saw Mariah had some whipped cream on the tip of her nose.

"What?" Mariah asked when Tessa laughed.

"You have a little whipped cream on your face," Tessa said then deftly swiped the whipped cream off of Mariah's nose with her index finger.

Mariah was transfixed as she watched Tessa bring the finger with the cream on it to her lips then slowly slide it into her mouth to suck it clean. She was about to pounce on Tessa when a voice coming from behind her caught her attention.

"Get a room you two," Tanner said as he walked toward the couple on the loveseat.

"Is the party over already? What time is it?" Mariah asked her friend after he plopped himself down on the couch across from her.

"We decided to skip the party. Em wasn't feeling it and I didn't care one way or another," Tanner replied. "I'm surprised the two of you aren't holed up in your hotel room."

"Just taking a hot chocolate break," Mariah answered as she reached for her mug.

"Hi ladies. Funny we all ended up here," Emily greeted them and took a seat next to Tanner on the couch.

"Hi Emily," Tessa returned the blonde's greeting. "It seemed like the perfect time for some hot chocolate."

"My thought exactly," Emily replied with a smile. "Did Tanner tell you the news yet?"

"What news?" Tessa and Mariah asked at the same time.

"Thanks for the reminder Em, I almost forgot," Tanner kissed Emily on the cheek affectionately before turning to address Tessa. "Tessa, I pitched writing an article about you and your burgeoning music career to my editor and she just gave it the green light. And I cleared it with Jenna before we left tonight."

"Article? You write for a music magazine?" Tessa was a little shocked at the possibility of an article about her being published.

"Yeah, I write for Jam On magazine. We mostly cover jam bands but my editor thought my angle for the story was interesting and would tie in well with the jam scene," Tanner relayed the info to Tessa.

"Wow! Thank you Tanner, this really means a lot to me," Tessa said appreciatively.

"No problem. I got the idea when you told us about meeting Jenna and the guys in Chicago. I even got my editor to cover some of my travel expenses so Em and I can come to the shows in Paris now," Tanner thought he was going to have to sweet talk Em into changing their travel plans but she was on board right away.

"That's fantastic news, all of it," Mariah stated happily as she envisioned romantic couple things the four of them could do together in the city of love.

The barista came over to deliver Tanner and Emily's hot chocolates and a slice of cherry pie with two forks. They both thanked her and grabbed their mugs. The foursome talked about Paris for a bit while consuming their goodies, then Emily excused herself to visit the restroom and asked Mariah to join her.

"Okay Mariah, spill," Emily said to her friend once they were out of earshot. 

"Spill what?" Mariah asked with genuine confusion.

"Something major happened between you and Tessa. Don't try to deny it because it's written all over your face," Emily pulled Mariah into the bathroom and shut the door behind them.

"She said I love you and I said it back," Mariah knew it was pointless to deny anything because Emily would drag it out of her if she needed to.

"I wasn't expecting that although I can't say I'm too surprised after spending time around the two of you. So, how do you feel about everything happening so fast?" Emily asked the redhead.

"I don't know. I haven't had time to process everything I've been feeling since meeting Tessa. I should be able to do that while we are apart for a week. The rational part of me is saying 'You can't possibly be in love with this woman, you just met her' but my heart is saying 'You've never felt such strong emotions for another human as you do for this one. You've never felt this happy'," Mariah shared her thoughts with her friend.

"Well, one thing I've learned in this life is that it's almost impossible to deny your heart what it wants. And, if you want to talk some things out, I'm just a phone call away," Emily promised Mariah.

"Thanks Em. Pretty sure I'll be taking you up on that offer," Mariah pulled the blonde to her for a hug.

"I'm happy for you Mariah," Emily said as she squeezed her friend tightly. "Now, time for you to go because I actually need to pee."

"Got it. See you in a few," Mariah chuckled and left the restroom. She stopped at the counter to get a brownie for her flight tomorrow then rejoined Tessa and Tanner who appeared to be getting along quite well.

"We didn't leave until six in the morning. That was such a great night," Tanner said to Tessa as Mariah sat back down on the loveseat.

"Sounds like it. Wish I could have been there," Tessa replied.

"What night are you talking about Tanner?" Mariah asked him.

"The night of the secret Prince concert," Tanner made air quotes with his hands when he said Prince.

Mariah laughed, "That did end up being a great night despite the misinformation." She remembered that night well. Okay, well enough for someone tripping on acid. A friend had scored tickets to a secret Prince show and invited a bunch of them to join him. He also had needlepoint acid for everyone so they all decided why not? It was a Tuesday night but none of them worked early the next day. So, they dosed just before they entered the venue only to find out it was actually a show by one of Prince's protégés who wasn't good and Prince walked on stage every once in a while but never played or sang. It was super weird and the music was horrible so the crew decided to bail. Melissa invited everyone to come back to their place for a rave in the basement. Though Mariah knew there was a chance their other roommate Kay would be pissed, she was too high to care. The eight of them danced to DJ Melissa's music selections all night and only stopped when they ran out of energy. The icing on the cake was they found out the basement is pretty much soundproof because Kay didn't know anything had gone down until she ran into them in the kitchen the next morning.

"Oh, I should tell Tessa about your housewarming party next," Tanner said with a gleam in his eye.

"Maybe we should save that one until Melissa is around. After all, no one tells the whole police and baby part with quite as much flair as she does," Mariah laughed as she pictured Melissa striding up to the cops with the baby in her arms thinking that would make them forget about the noise complaint. Her best friend could be quite ridiculous sometimes.

"Police and baby? I'm looking forward to hearing that story," Tessa said with a smile. She was also looking forward to meeting Melissa, that girl sounded like a real hoot.

Emily walked up and said she and Tanner should be heading back to their hotel. Tessa and Mariah were ready to leave as well so the foursome brought their empty dishes to the counter, dropped a few pounds in the tip jar and bid the barista goodnight.

Tanner and Emily walked with Tessa and Mariah back to Tessa's hotel. They all hugged each other goodbye. 

"Have a great rest of your night," Emily said to Mariah when they were hugging.

"Oh, I will. You do the same," Mariah winked at Emily as she pulled out of the hug.

Tessa and Mariah watched Tanner and Emily walk away before joining hands and entering the lobby of the hotel.


	16. Chapter 16

"Tessa, stop," Mariah admonished her lover.

"Stop what?" Tessa replied innocently.

"You know what," Mariah rolled her eyes at the taller woman.

"I'm sorry Mariah but I really have no idea what you are talking about," Tessa feigned ignorance.

"You've been undressing me with your eyes since we got on the elevator. Can't you wait a few minutes until we are back in your room?" Mariah asked. Truth be told she had no problem with what Tessa was doing aside from the fact that her undies were soaking wet as a result. What kind of wizardry was Tessa using to arouse her so quickly with just a look?

"I really can't Mariah," Tessa looked hungrily at the redhead and licked her lips. Just as she started to lunge at Mariah, the elevator stopped at their floor.

They exited the elevator and walked down the hall to Tessa's room. Tessa made quick work of opening the door and ushering Mariah inside. She deftly shucked her jacket and soon had shed all her clothes. Mariah was also undressing but taking longer than Tessa. Tessa stepped in to help Mariah finish disrobing by tugging her panties down her legs. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw Mariah's juices had completely drenched the garment. She swiftly discarded the wet item and laid Mariah down on the bed. Tessa moved between her lover's legs and spread them wider to give her better access. She inhaled deeply letting Mariah's arousal permeate her olfactory sense in the most delightful way. Tessa granted her taste buds permission to indulge in what pleased them the most when she slowly dragged her tongue through Mariah's wet folds. She licked and sucked every crevice, making Mariah moan with pleasure. Tessa wrapped her lips around Mariah's clit and sucked softly. She intensified her sucking and soon Mariah's hips were bucking wildly as her orgasm gripped her. Tessa released Mariah's sensitive nub, gave her a few moments for the peak of her climax to pass before entering her with two fingers.

"Oh god Tessa. Yes, please. That's so good," Mariah said to her lover as the taller woman relentlessly plunged her fingers into her wetness. Soon Tessa brought her other hand into the fray and gently rubbed her clit. Mariah knew it wouldn't be long before she came again. This orgasm was more intense than the first and completely took over her ability to think. All she could do was let the pleasure take control. At some point, she registered Tessa had moved from between her legs and was resting her head on her chest. "I just need another minute to recover and then it's your turn," Mariah promised Tessa as she stroked her hair.

"Take all the time you need babe. When you're ready, do you think you might be up for trying something new?" Tessa asked the redhead.

"Yes. What did you have in mind?" Mariah's heart was racing as possible scenarios flashed through her head.

"I'll show you," Tessa dropped a soft kiss on Mariah's lips and hopped out of bed. She opened her suitcase and dug around inside until she found the bag she was looking for. When she turned back toward the bed, she saw Mariah was sitting with her back against the headboard regarding her curiously. She sat down on the bed next to her lover and opened the bag. She pulled two of the items from inside and showed them to Mariah.

Mariah was surprised when she saw what Tessa was holding in her hands and realized how turned on she was at the thought of fucking Tessa with a strap on. "You want me to wear that and fuck you with it?" Mariah asked Tessa to make sure she understood her lover's intentions.

"Yes. Are you comfortable with that?" Tessa asked gently.

"Yes, I am. In fact, the thought is really turning me on. Could you show me the correct way to wear it?" Mariah bit her lip as she asked Tessa for assistance.

"It will be my absolute pleasure," Tessa eased off the bed and helped Mariah up. She made sure to touch Mariah's body as much as possible while she helped her strap the dildo on. Mariah's breathing quickened with each touch. "How does that feel?" Tessa whispered in Mariah's ear as she pressed her naked body against the redhead's back.

"Good. Snug but comfortable," Mariah told Tessa as she watched her take the dildo in her hand and start stroking it slowly. Mariah inhaled sharply as the base of the dildo moved against her because of Tessa's actions. "Tessa, I want to be inside you so badly," Mariah reached behind her and snaked her hand between their bodies until she arrived at Tessa's center. She dipped her fingers into Tessa's very wet folds and stroked her.

"Mariah, god baby, I want you so much," Tessa nipped at Mariah's shoulders as she spoke. She leaned over to grab her bag off the bed and pulled a condom out.

The sound of the condom wrapper ripping caught Mariah's attention so she looked over to see what Tessa was doing. "Um, unless I missed a section in Biology class, I'm pretty sure I can't get you pregnant," Mariah said jokingly but also questioningly.

"Funny girl," Tessa said then kissed Mariah's shoulder and slipped her arms around her lover from behind. "It's for easy clean up later and maybe you'd like me to use this on you," Tessa said softly as she slowly rolled the condom onto the dildo.

Mariah turned to face Tessa, "I most definitely want that but first I want to make you come several times." She gently eased Tessa onto the bed and climbed on top of her, spreading her lover's legs apart so she could gain entry. She slid two fingers inside Tessa to test her readiness and withdrew them right away because Tessa was more than ready. She grabbed ahold of the dildo and ran it up and down Tessa's slit coating it with her lover's juices.

When Mariah grazed her clit with the dildo, Tessa thrust her hips up. "Mariah, please fuck me. Hard, fast and deep," Tessa needed Mariah inside her. Now.

Mariah positioned the head of the dildo at Tessa's opening and slowly sunk it inside her until it was in as far as it could go. She balanced herself on her hands over Tessa and kissed her deeply. She pulled back from the kiss and began moving inside Tessa as soon as her lover's eyes fluttered back open. She maintained eye contact with Tessa as she furiously fucked her to make sure she was enjoying it.

Tessa wrapped her legs around Mariah to open herself up more and draw Mariah even deeper inside her. "Fuck. That feels so fucking good Mariah," Tessa told the redhead as she rammed into her just like she wanted her to. She loved how willing Mariah was to try new things in bed so early in their relationship. And it was a bonus that she excelled at everything she tried. Tessa gripped the sheets hard as her orgasm coursed through her body.

Mariah thrust into Tessa a few more times after her lover climaxed before collapsing on top of Tessa, surrendering to her own orgasm. They clung to one another as mutual ecstasy washed through them. Mariah lifted her head off Tessa's chest when she regained enough strength, "Are you okay?"

Tessa nodded her head yes because she didn't feel ready to attempt speech quite yet. She felt Mariah start to pull out of her and quickly tightened her legs around the redhead to stop her. "Stay for a little longer please," she implored.

"Of course, whatever you want babe," Mariah craned her head to reach Tessa's lips for a sweet kiss before returning her head to rest on Tessa's breasts. She couldn't resist drawing one of her taut nipples into her mouth, then gently sucking on it until Tessa moaned and thrust her hips up.

When the dildo sunk deeper into her due to her movements, Tessa knew she needed Mariah to fuck her more. "Mariah," she called her lover's name to get her attention. Mariah released her nipple and looked up at her. "I want you to fuck me again right now. Think you have the energy for that?" Tessa said with a sexy smile.

"Are you seriously questioning my stamina? I could have lasted much longer if this thing wasn't pushing on my clit every time I thrust into you so you can't hold that against me," Mariah returned her lover's playful banter.

"Prove it," Tessa issued the challenge with a wink.

Mariah rotated her hips against Tessa, moving inside her before gently starting to withdraw so she could plunge back in.

"Take it all the way out. I want you to take me from behind this time," Tessa instructed the redhead.

"You certainly are a naughty girl. And so very perfect for me," Mariah removed the dildo from Tessa and happily observed she was still dripping wet. "Assume the position," Mariah said seductively before flicking her tongue out to lick her lips.

Tessa sat up and captured Mariah's lips in a fierce kiss that went on for several minutes before she finally relinquished the redhead's lips. "Slow and deep to start, then I'll ask you to go faster at some point," Tessa whispered into Mariah's ear. "Oh, and I don't need you to be gentle but I don't want it hard this time." She pulled back to look into Mariah's eyes, "Okay?"

"Okay, but please tell me if what I'm doing isn't what you want. My objective is to make you feel nothing but pleasure that culminates in orgasmic bliss," Mariah was fairly certain at this point that she wouldn't be enjoying having sex with Tessa as much as she was if Tessa wasn't enjoying it just as much.

"I will. And, consider your objective achieved because I've enjoyed every second so far and can't see that changing. As a matter of fact, I'm starting to wonder if you weren't being up front with me about never seeing lesbian porn before because you are very talented in bed Mariah," Tessa didn't really think Mariah had lied about that, she just wanted Mariah to know how good she was in bed.

Mariah blushed at Tessa's compliment, she wasn't used to being praised for her sexual abilities. "Thanks," she said shyly, dropping her gaze to the bed.

Tessa lifted Mariah's chin up until she met her eyes again, "Thank you Mariah. I've had a fair amount of sex in the past but it's never once been as good as it is every time with you."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Mariah was relieved to hear Tessa felt the same way she did about their sexual compatibility.

"Great, now that that's settled, fuck me until neither of us can move anymore," Tessa dropped her voice to a seductive whisper and assumed the position.

Mariah situated herself between Tessa's spread legs, lifted her lover's hips a little higher so they were on the same level. "Is this comfortable for you?" she asked Tessa.

"Yes," Tessa replied. She couldn't remember another lover of hers ever caring so much about how comfortable she was or wanting to please her at every turn. It felt really good. It also turned her on a great deal.

Mariah guided the dildo to Tessa's opening with her hand and slowly buried it as deep inside as possible.

"Yes Mariah. Feels so good," Tessa mumbled to the redhead after she filled her up.

Mariah began moving inside Tessa with slow, deep strokes. Tessa's breathing slowed and she let out a soft moan each time Mariah's pelvic area made contact with her ass. Mariah gripped Tessa's hips as she slowly slid in and out of her pussy. She noticed Tessa's breathing became more erratic shortly before the taller woman asked her to go faster. Mariah increased the speed of her thrusts, keeping them deep but not hard. She figured she was doing it right because the only sounds coming from Tessa were moans of pleasure and her lover came hard a few minutes later. Mariah never stopped moving inside Tessa but she did slow her thrusts after she came. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked Tessa.

"No. Can you keep going?" Tessa had never been so insatiable before. She just couldn't get enough of Mariah.

"Of course. Slow or fast?" Mariah asked as she continued to plunge into Tessa.

"Fast and hard," Tessa said between moans.

Mariah quickly increased her tempo and slammed deep into Tessa.

"Harder please," Tessa almost begged her lover. She knew Mariah was holding back because she didn't want to hurt her but this is what she needed right now.

Tessa's plea was all Mariah needed to hear to stop holding back. She rammed into her full force and was rewarded with Tessa screaming out her name in elation.

"God Mariah, just like that. Jesus fuck!" Tessa felt another orgasm about to hit but wasn't ready for Mariah to stop. "I'm coming baby but please don't stop," Tessa barely got the words out before climaxing. She rode the waves of her orgasm as Mariah continued plunging into her. Before the first orgasm was completely over, she came again. "You..come..now," Tessa hardly had the strength to get those three words out but didn't want to keep Mariah in limbo. She could tell Mariah was close because her rhythm kept veering off course.

"Oh thank god. Not sure how much longer I could have held off," Mariah panted the words out as she slammed into Tessa several more times before slumping on top of her and allowing her orgasm to take over. She scattered wet kisses on Tessa's back while stroking her sides languidly. When her orgasm had run its course she checked in with her lover. "Tessa, do you want me to take it out or are you ready for another round?"

"You can take it out, not sure if she can take another round right now. Kitty needs some rest," Tessa said with a soft laugh.

"Kitty! I love that," Mariah laughed at the cute nickname Tessa had for her pussy. "You ready?" she asked.

"Yes. Push it in a little more first, that should make it slide out more easily," Tessa gave Mariah guidance.

Mariah did as Tessa suggested and the dildo slid out with ease. She unsnapped the harness and extracted herself from it then set it on the bed. She rolled Tessa over and snuggled up next to her.

Tessa wrapped her arm around Mariah and pulled her closer. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand to see how much time they had left. "The shuttle will be here in less than four hours. Should we try and get in a quick nap for an hour or two?" Tessa suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea. Let's split the difference and do an hour and a half," Mariah replied.

Tessa grabbed her phone off the nightstand, set the alarm and returned it. They slipped under the covers, snuggled together happily as they drifted to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Tessa rolled over to shut off the alarm on her phone when it woke her up. When she turned back to face Mariah, her lover was regarding her with a lustful gaze. Tessa was already wet when she awoke but the way Mariah was looking at her caused a fresh gush of juices to flood her pussy. Tessa pulled the shorter woman flush against her body and drew her into a deep kiss filled with need.

Mariah returned the kiss with just as much if not more need. She ran her hand down Tessa's back then dug her fingers into her ass cheek. Tessa rolled her onto her back then straddled her stomach. Mariah ran her hand up the inside of Tessa's thigh and slid two fingers inside her easily. Mariah felt her own pussy flood when she discovered just how wet Tessa was for her. Tessa made her feel so desirable that it gave her the confidence to be bolder in bed than she had ever dared to be with any of her past lovers. She pumped her fingers into Tessa, matching the urgency her lover needed right now.

Tessa pitched forward unintentionally when Mariah's thumb started rubbing her clit. She put her hands on the bed on either side of Mariah to keep from collapsing on top of the redhead. "Mariah, yes baby. Please, I'm so close," Tessa struggled to keep her elbows from giving out on her as her body began to shake with exultation. When her orgasm gripped her, she came crashing down on top of Mariah despite her efforts to prevent it from happening. "Sorry," she mumbled into Mariah's neck.

Mariah stroked Tessa's head and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "Nothing to be sorry about babe. You didn't hurt me, it's all good," she assured the taller woman laying across her. She slowly pulled her fingers out of Tessa's pussy and brought them to her mouth.

Tessa's mouth went dry as she watched Mariah slide her fingers between her lips. The redhead sucked her digits with gusto, moaning loudly as Tessa entered her suddenly. Tessa drew one of Mariah's hardened nipples into her mouth as she thrust her fingers into her lover's gaping hole. She heard Mariah whimper softly when she bit her nipple gently.

"Tessa baby, bite me again but harder this time," Mariah almost begged Tessa to hurt her a little because it hurt so good.

"Are you sure?" Tessa asked after releasing Mariah's nipple so she could speak.

"Yes. Please," Mariah pleaded desperately as Tessa's thrusts picked up speed.

Tessa reclaimed Mariah's nipple with her mouth and bit down. Mariah cried out as her orgasm struck and clenched around Tessa's fingers tightly for a few moments before releasing them along with a tidal wave of her juices. Tessa quickly slid between Mariah's legs and began lapping up her wetness. Mariah thrust her hips up, pushing herself into Tessa's face. Tessa slipped her hands underneath Mariah, grasping her ass and pulling her even closer. She buried her face in Mariah's soaking wet snatch, licking and sucking each and every crevice thoroughly. The redhead writhed beneath her and moaned with pleasure. A short while later, her gorgeous lover's body began shaking uncontrollably as another orgasm tore through her. Tessa crawled up Mariah's body to drop a soft wet kiss on her lips.

Mariah wove her hand into Tessa's long dark hair, holding her in place as she deepened the kiss. She slipped her tongue inside Tessa's mouth and rolled her lover onto her back. They kissed passionately for several minutes before Mariah broke away and began planting a trail of wet kisses down Tessa's body. She paused when she reached her breasts, lavishing them with attention. She drew one nipple into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it until it hardened. She rolled her other nipple between her thumb and forefinger until it also stood at attention. She continued working her way down, licking and sucking Tessa's flesh as she went. When she arrived at Tessa's throbbing center, she dove in face first. Tessa moaned when Mariah slid her tongue inside her warmth. She ran her tongue along the walls of Tessa's welcoming tunnel.

"Baby, god that feels so good," Tessa panted as she spread her legs wider to give Mariah better access. Mariah brought her hand to Tessa's clit and started rubbing it slowly with two of her fingers. Tessa's hips jerked when Mariah's fingers made contact with her clit. She was so close to the edge now, she knew she wouldn't last much longer. "Mariah, I'm coming babe," she cried out just before her orgasm ripped through her and her juices flooded Mariah's mouth.

Mariah swallowed as much of Tessa's offering as she could, the overflow spilling out of her mouth and down her chin. She licked her lips and the sides of her mouth to retrieve as much of the sticky substance as possible.

"Come here baby," Tessa implored as she hungrily watched Mariah lick her face. Mariah moved up her body until they were face to face. Tessa tilted Mariah's head up then slowly dragged her tongue up her lover's neck to her chin licking her remaining wetness up with relish. "I really don't know how I'm going to get through the next week without you," Tessa admitted softly while staring into Mariah's eyes intently.

"I'm going to miss you like crazy Tessa. I hope you don't plan on getting any sleep after the show in Barcelona because I plan on showing you just how much I missed you. Over and over and over again," Mariah promised the gorgeous woman lying beneath her. "But, right now, we need to get in the shower and finish packing," Mariah sighed regretfully.

"I know," Tessa acknowledged with defeat. She kissed Mariah softly on the lips then smacked her ass gently. "Time to move that cute ass of yours off me."

Mariah pecked Tessa on the lips then rolled off her and got up. She held her hand out and pulled Tessa up after she accepted her hand. "Let's go babe," she said before leading the taller woman into the bathroom.

An hour later, Tessa and Mariah sat on a couch in the lobby waiting for the shuttle to arrive. Tessa had her arm wrapped around Mariah's waist as the redhead rested her head on her shoulder.

Mariah's phone pinged and she picked it up to see the shuttle had arrived. "Shuttle's here," she said as she pulled away from Tessa and stood up.

They picked up their luggage and headed outside. The shuttle driver was standing at the rear of the vehicle with the back door open. "Hello ladies. Ready to go?" the older man asked as they neared the shuttle.

"Yes. Thank you," Mariah told the gentleman as she handed him her pack. He stowed it in the back then took Tessa's suitcase from her and placed it next to Mariah's backpack.

"Thanks," Tessa said after handing her suitcase to the driver. He shut the back and led them to the already open side door. Tessa climbed in then offered Mariah her hand to help her in. They sat on the bench seat just behind the driver and buckled themselves in.

"One more stop to pick up a couple more passengers and then we'll be on our way to Heathrow. Any requests for the type of music we listen to on the drive?" the driver asked them.

"Whatever you were listening to before is fine with us," Mariah told the kindly man.

"Great," he started the vehicle and pulled away from the curb just as the radio switched from an ad to music.

Tessa and Mariah both laughed when they heard the song start playing. "What are the odds one of his songs would be playing now? Could this be some sort of sign?" Mariah asked Tessa.

"Let's find out. Excuse me sir, do you know who sings this song?" Tessa asked the driver.

"Oh yes. His name is Jack Johnson. I really like his music, it's very soothing," the driver replied, smiling as he spoke.

"Does his music play a lot on this radio station?" Mariah asked.

"It does. He's pretty popular here. In fact, he just played at a concert venue not too far from here. My niece who lives in Paris really wants to see him perform live but the shows coming up there both sold out right away due to his popularity," the man said as he stopped the vehicle at a light.

"Seems like it was a sign after all," Tessa smiled over at Mariah.

"A sign? I'm sorry, I don't follow," the driver glanced back at Tessa.

"You will, uh, sorry, what's your name sir?" Tessa asked him.

"It's Charley ma'am," Charley replied affably.

"It's nice to meet you Charley. I'm Tessa and this is Mariah," Tessa nodded in Mariah's direction.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Tessa and Mariah," Charley said happily. He was a bit surprised these young women wanted to strike up a conversation with an old codger like himself.

"So Charley, I might be able to get your niece into one of the Paris shows if you don't mind sharing your contact info with me," Tessa would have to check with Jenna but her manager had mentioned she could put some people on the guest list for her during the tour.

"Really? Do you have an extra ticket for sale?" Charley couldn't believe he might be able to be the cool uncle for a change.

"Not exactly. I'm a musician and it just so happens I'm one of the opening acts for Jack on this tour. I'll need to check with my manager first but if she gives me the okay, I can put your niece on the guest list for one of the shows," Tessa told him.

"Are you pulling my leg young lady?" Charley asked skeptically.

Tessa laughed lightly before responding. "Absolutely not Charley. I'm meeting my manager at the airport and will ask her then if you'd like me to."

"Yes, I would definitely like you to do that. My niece would be thrilled. You are so kind to do this for a complete stranger," Charley was in shock that this was actually happening. Fate sure was funny sometimes.

"I'm happy to do this for you," Tessa said genuinely. Charley reminded her of her sort of grandpa who had passed away a few years ago. "I have a couple of questions for you. How old is your niece? Would she want to bring someone with her to the show? Would she be able to make it to either show?"

"She's thirty and would probably want to bring her girlfriend. I'm not sure about the last question. I would need to check with her. I'm sure I could have an answer for you by the end of today," Charley told Tessa.

"Perfect. Let's exchange contact info and I'll do my best to make this happen," Tessa said as she pulled out her phone. "What's your phone number Charley?"

Charley recited his number and Tessa put it into her phone. She called him at the next light they stopped at so he would have her number as well. "Just text me after you've had a chance to speak with your niece."

"I will Tessa. Thank you so much. You are a fantastic human being," Charley shot her a huge grin.

"Yes, she is," Mariah readily agreed with Charley's statement and kissed Tessa tenderly on the cheek.

Tessa hugged Mariah to her and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks babe, so are you," Tessa lovingly stroked Mariah's hair.

"How long have the two of you been together, if you don't mind me asking?" Charley asked the two women who were clearly smitten with one another.

"We don't mind at all. It's been about thirty-two hours," Tessa responded after glancing at the time on her phone.

"Wow. So, love at first sight?" Charley smiled as he recalled the first time he laid eyes on his wife. He knew she would be his wife within the first five minutes of talking to her. They would be celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary next month.

"Pretty much. That probably sounds crazy to you, huh?" Tessa replied.

"Not at all. My wife and I fell in love at first sight. That was thirty-six years ago and my heart still skips a beat whenever I see her," Charley smiled wistfully as he spoke.

"That's so sweet," Mariah said as she imagined Tessa and herself together in thirty-six years. Grey hair, holding hands in matching rocking chairs on a wrap around porch of a cute two story house.

"Pardon me ladies while I help the other passengers with their luggage," Charley said after he pulled up in front of a hotel. He hopped out and approached the middle aged couple waiting at the curb with their bags. After he loaded their bags in the back, Charley opened the side door for them.

The woman climbed in first and gave Tessa an odd look while returning the smile both she and Mariah flashed her. Before she could really ponder what that was about, the man followed behind her and gave Tessa a similar odd look. The couple sat down on the bench seat at the far back. Tessa looked at Mariah and quietly asked her, "Is there something on my face or in my hair?"

"No, why?" Mariah gave Tessa a quizzical look.

"Those two both gave me weird looks when they got in," Tessa nodded her head imperceptibly in the direction of the couple.

"Really? I didn't notice. It was probably nothing," Mariah said as she pulled Tessa into her arms.

Charley got back in and pulled onto the road in the direction of the airport. "Tessa, I'd love to hear your music. Is there somewhere I can listen online?"

"Yes, Tessa can text you a link but I happen to have all her songs downloaded on my phone. I can play one for you now if you'd like," Mariah offered as she pulled out her phone.

"I would love that but let me make sure the other passengers are alright with it. Excuse me folks in the far back, we have a rock star in the shuttle and I'd like to hear her music if the two of you are agreeable," Charley turned the radio off so the couple in the rear would be able to hear him.

"Charley, I'm not a rock star. This is my first tour and I'm just an opening act," Tessa laughed at Charley's exaggeration.

"Rock star or not, we'd love to hear your music," the woman said. "We are music lovers. In fact, we went to a concert last night."

"What a coincidence, so did we," Mariah turned around to address the woman with short brown hair. "Who did you see?"

"Jack Johnson. We are big fans of his," the man with shoulder length black hair said.

Charley, Tessa and Mariah all stared laughing at that.

"Did I say something funny?" the man asked as he shot his partner a confused look.

"No, we're just laughing at how small the world can be sometimes," Tessa told the couple.

"Did you happen to catch either of the opening acts?" Mariah asked them.

"We got there late and only caught the last song of the second opener," the woman answered.

"A cover of 'Shameless'?" Tessa asked.

"Yes! How did you kn- oh shit, it was you. Damn girl, you rocked that song!" the woman said excitedly when she realized she had seen Tessa perform the night before.

"We knew you looked familiar when we got in the shuttle but couldn't figure out why," the man said with a big smile. "Sorry we missed most of your set, we lost track of time."

"We can relate," Mariah said. "Would you like to hear some of her original songs now?"

"Most definitely," the couple replied in unison.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to the kind soul who shared clips of Mariah from the show prior to Tessa showing up so I was able to get an idea of the backstory the show gave her to use in this fic. I used the original backstory the show gave Tessa as a jumping off point but took it in my own direction.

After Tessa posed for a few pictures with Charley and the middle aged couple, Josie and Jesse, she and Mariah said their goodbyes to the others and headed inside the airport. Tessa thought Mariah should be in the pictures as well but Mariah insisted they only feature Tessa because that's what famous people do. It really was so cute how certain Mariah was that Tessa was going to be a big star. She was more of a realist and would be happy just to be able to make and play music for a living. They got in line to check Mariah in when they found the ticket counter for the airline Mariah's flight was with. Fifteen minutes later they approached the counter and Mariah handed the woman behind the counter her passport and told her which flight she was on.

"I'm sorry miss but that flight has been cancelled. Would you like me to look for a seat on a later flight for you?" the woman asked Mariah.

"Cancelled? Any particular reason why?" Mariah wasn't unfamiliar with flights getting cancelled but usually a reason was given for that happening, like severe weather.

"The crew all called in sick and we weren't able to find a replacement crew," the woman replied.

"Wow, that must have been some party," Mariah said with a laugh. "Sure, please check if there's a seat available on a later flight."

"Maybe this is a sign that you should come with me to Italy," Tessa said hoping Mariah might go for it.

"Babe, I'm going to miss you too but just think about how great our reunion will be," Mariah hugged Tessa to her side.

Tessa sighed and kissed Mariah on the cheek, "Being patient isn't one of my attributes but I'll try to be for you."

"Okay Miss Copeland, I found a seat for you on the flight to Lisbon leaving at 11:15am. Will that work for you?" the ticket agent relayed her findings.

"Sure, go ahead and book it please," Mariah told the woman. "Looks like I'll be seeing you off instead of the other way around," Mariah said to Tessa.

"Works for me if I get to spend even five more minutes with you before we part," Tessa said with a smile.

The ticket agent tagged Mariah's bag for the flight and handed Mariah her boarding pass, "You're all set Miss Copeland, have a wonderful flight."

"Thank you. Would you know of a good place for breakfast here?" Mariah asked as she accepted her boarding pass.

"Two actually. The Flying Chariot and The Gorgeous Kitchen," the woman responded.

"Which of those two would we have a better chance of finding a quiet out of the way table to dine at?" Mariah asked the follow up question.

"The Flying Chariot," the ticket agent answered without hesitation.

"Thank you. Have a lovely day," Mariah smiled at the woman before walking away from the counter with Tessa following behind her. It was too early for Tessa to check in so they headed to The Flying Chariot for breakfast. They found a quiet table in a corner and sat down. A waiter came by with menus and poured them both cups of coffee. They both ordered eggs, bacon, hash browns and a fruit cup. Scrambled for Mariah and over medium for Tessa. Bacon extra crispy for both of them.

"Now that we have this time to get to know each other better, I don't know where to begin," Tessa said to Mariah after the waiter left to put their order in.

"Me either. The first time we tried this, it ended in tears. Do we dare chance that again?" Mariah sipped her steaming mug of coffee.

"I think we do because I want to get to know you and I want you to know me," Tessa wrapped her hands around her own coffee mug.

"Okay. Guess I'll start but before I do, I want you to know everything I'm about to tell you is the truth regardless of how outlandish some of it may sound to you," Mariah knew her story was hard to believe.

"That's quite a set up babe. Okay, lay it on me," Tessa said before bringing her mug to her lips for a small sip.

"Alright, here goes nothing. I was raised in a cult by a sociopathic leader. There was a lot of talk about love but no actual love was ever shown. I learned early on to keep my thoughts and emotions to myself because no one wanted to hear them. I didn't have any friends so I spent my time learning how to con people for my own gain. By the time I left the cult I was pretty much a garbage person, conning and using those around me. After leaving the cult, I bounced around a bit then ended up in Portland, Oregon. I met a guy named Tyler there and we got engaged. He worked for this really rich guy in the guy's mansion and I stole some things from the guy. When the man found some things were missing, he accused Tyler so I slept with the man to keep him from pressing charges against Tyler. Tyler dumped me when he found out what I did and he left town. I eventually tracked him down to Genoa City, Wisconsin and started stalking him. I also tried to come between him and his new girlfriend. That all probably sounds pretty horrible to you but it gets worse," Mariah paused to take a sip of her coffee and steel herself for the next part of her story. "On my way to a job interview, I ran into an older wealthy man who told me I was a dead ringer for his dead granddaughter. He hired me to pretend to be her ghost to scare the girl's mother. And I did it without giving it a second thought. That ended when her boyfriend saw me and figured out I was a real person. The woman decided not to press charges against me. Of course that act of kindness wasn't enough to stop me from continuing to try and break up my ex and his fiancée. That led to her father, who was the same man that hired me to pretend to be a ghost, having me arrested and I was extradited back to Portland for the breaking and entering plus robbery charges. So, the woman I tormented comes to Portland and gets the charges against me dropped after dropping a wad of cash for legal fees. Then she brings me back to Genoa City, pays for my motel room and gets me a job working at her boyfriend's club. Shortly thereafter I manipulated her into asking me to move into her house at the urging of the cult leader who raised me. So, I decide to repay all her kindness by trying to seduce her boyfriend. She caught me and threw me out of her house. While that was happening, her boyfriend found out I was her biological daughter. She had twins and my sister Cassie was put up for adoption and I was sold to a nurse, who was a member of a cult, by the doctor who delivered us. The nurse bought me for the cult leader, who had been grooming me all my life to be his bride once I was an adult. I didn't know this at the time so that's why I left town with him after my biological mom kicked me out. He drugged me and forced me to marry him. Having just found out I was her daughter, my mom was desperate to find me. She and her boyfriend ended up rescuing me from the storage locker I was being held prisoner in. She told me I was her daughter and I rejected her completely. But, as I finally learned later, unconditional love is a powerful thing capable of bringing about miracles. There was a lot of backsliding into old behavior by me but eventually my mom's love for me forever changed me for the better. I learned how to love other people. I stopped lying, stealing and using people. I began caring about those around me and how my actions might impact them. I learned to love myself and believe I was worthy of love. I made friends for the first time in my life. Great friends who are there for me and have my back. I'm still learning and growing as a person every day, striving to be kinder and more compassionate," Mariah couldn't read Tessa's expression but knew there was a chance she had just ended things before they ever really began. "I would understand if you don't want to see me again now that you know who I really am," Mariah nervously traced circles on the table with her finger as she dropped her gaze.

"Mariah," Tessa gently grasped Mariah's hand, stopping her nervous movement. "Please look at me," she implored as she lightly stroked the top of Mariah's hand with her thumb. Mariah lifted her gaze until she locked eyes with Tessa. "I want to see you always. Everyone has a past and a lot of us have done things we aren't proud of. But, people can change if they continue growing and learning. You may have thought of yourself as a garbage person at one point but that clearly isn't who you are now. My heart breaks for what happened to you and it also swells with pride at how you were able to overcome all of that to become the incredibly loving person I see before me," Tessa lifted Mariah's hand to her mouth and kissed the top of it tenderly.

Mariah released the breath she had been holding when Tessa's lips touched her hand. This woman was unbelievable. No judgment, no pulling away. Just kindness and compassion. "How is it you are so perfect Tessa?" she asked with wonder.

"Oh babe, that's an incredibly sweet thing to say but I am nowhere near perfect as you will find out when I tell you my story," Tessa told her lover. "My father was a drug dealer and my mom a drug addict. He was an alcoholic and would hit her and me when he was drunk which was pretty much all the time. He rarely went after my sister because I taught her how to hide well. I protected her as best as I could and endured the physical abuse until I was sixteen. That's when the customers he constantly had coming and going from the apartment at all hours started looking at me differently. I wasn't naïve, I knew what they wanted and I couldn't trust my dad to protect me from them. To be completely honest, I didn't trust him not to sell me to them like he did drugs. So, one night Crystal and I snuck out never to return. She was only twelve but I couldn't leave her there to fend for herself. We were homeless, living on the streets and I ran cons to bring in cash so we could eat. Mostly I would con older men at bars. Pretend I was into them and was going to go home with them then I'd steal their wallets and take off. One night, I was particularly desperate for cash as winter approached and I wanted to buy Crystal some warm clothes so I ran my con on a woman in her late twenties. In my haste to get away with her wallet, I didn't notice she followed me back to where Crystal and I were camped out. I wanted to run when I saw her but I had twisted my ankle getting away so I wasn't in any shape to make a run for it. The woman insisted Crystal and I come home with her so she could feed us and ice my ankle. I knew it was likely she would call social services or the cops in the morning but thought we could get a hot meal and sneak away before morning came. But, that's not what happened. Rebecca, that's the woman's name, made spaghetti and salad for us then set Crystal up to shower in the bathroom so she and I could talk. She asked me to tell her our story so I did. When I was finished, she asked us to stay the night and we could talk more in the morning. I was exhausted, my ankle was killing me and Rebecca was so kind that I agreed. She slept on the couch in the living room while Crystal and I slept in her bed. The next morning she and I talked about the future. Rebecca was familiar with how social services worked and knew it was very likely Crystal and I would be split apart. She couldn't bear the thought of that happening but also couldn't bear the thought of us returning to the streets. She worked as an administrator for a nearby school district and was in charge of the admissions records. Even though she was putting her career on the line, she offered to take us in and get us enrolled in school. She would be listed as our guardian and we would tell people she was our aunt if ever asked. My experiences with adults up until that point were mostly negative so I was wary but my gut told me this woman really did care and I didn't want Crystal to spend her teen years living on the street. Crystal took to our new situation right away and was thriving. I on the other hand was a hormonal teenager used to taking care of myself so I made Rebecca's life as hard as possible at first. I was ungrateful, said horrible things to her, stole from her and even tried to seduce her. I still can't believe she put up with my shit and refused to give up on me. I'll never be able to repay her for saving our lives. She put everything on the line to help us and I'll never forget that. The love and kindness she showed us turned my attitude completely around and allowed Crystal to blossom into the completely awesome young woman she is today. After I graduated from high school I took night classes at the community college while working full time during the day at a retail store in the mall. It felt good to finally be contributing to the household instead of just benefitting from Rebecca's hard work and generosity. I was also able to start a college fund for Crystal because I wanted her to be able to go to a four year school if she wanted to. She was always a really smart kid so it wasn't surprising that she was able to get a full ride scholarship to the University of Chicago. Crystal wanted to live with me instead of in the dorms so we found a two bedroom apartment to rent not far from campus. I found a better paying job at the hotel I still work at now. Rebecca met her wife Toni shortly after Crystal and I moved out of her place and they got married a year later. We have Sunday dinners at their place and spend the holidays with them as well," Tessa wrapped up her story and picked up her mug to take a few sips. Mariah had begun tearing up early in the story but quickly wiped away any tears that dared to escape. She wasn't sure how to read that since she was just getting to know the redhead. Their waiter arrived at that moment with their food so Mariah's thoughts on what she told her would remain unspoken for now.


	19. Chapter 19

"Thank you," Mariah said to the waiter as he placed her plate on the table in front of her.

"Thanks," Tessa smiled at the young man after he deposited her breakfast before her.

"Can I get you ladies anything else?" the waiter asked the comely women.

"No thank you," both women replied.

"Enjoy," the waiter smiled at them before walking away.

"Tessa," Mariah addressed her lover after the waiter left. "Would you look at me please?" she encouraged the taller woman to look up from her suddenly fascinating plate of food.

Tessa slowly and reluctantly lifted her gaze to meet Mariah's across the table. The knot in her stomach loosened when she was met with the compassionately loving look on Mariah's face.

"I am completely in awe of you Tessa. The sacrifices you made to protect your sister and give her a chance at a happy future are staggering. I can't imagine how much strength it took for you to come out of an extremely abusive upbringing as the confident, kind and caring woman I see before me. My heart aches for all you and your sister endured, no one should ever be subjected to such neglect and maltreatment especially by their own parents. I am so grateful Rebecca came into your lives, showing you the love and kindness you never received from your parents. She sounds like an incredible woman and I'm truly looking forward to meeting her one day," Mariah reached across the table to take Tessa's hand in her own. "And, I have to disagree with you because you are absolutely perfect in every way," Mariah added as she squeezed Tessa's hand for emphasis.

"Mariah, I....," Tessa trailed off, unsure of what to say next. "Thank you," was what ended up coming out of her mouth. She smiled at the beautiful redhead as she squeezed her hand tenderly.

"Should we dig in before our eggs get cold?" Mariah said to break the heaviness that had settled over them.

"Yes. Nothing worse than cold eggs," Tessa grinned as she released Mariah's hand.

"Agreed," Mariah responded while she picked up a bottle of green tabasco sauce. She shook the bottle then liberally poured it over her scrambled eggs. She scooped up a forkful of eggs and placed them in her mouth. She noticed Tessa regarding her curiously as she chewed. "What's up?" she asked after swallowing the food in her mouth.

"Sorry. I just haven't seen someone put hot sauce on eggs before now," Tessa answered as she poured ketchup on her hash browns.

"Really? I love it. Wanna try a bite?" Mariah offered.

"Okay," Tessa was interested to find out if they would taste good to her too. She watched Mariah stab some of her eggs with her fork and reach across the table to hold the fork up to her mouth. She opened her mouth and Mariah gently inserted her fork. Tessa closed her mouth on the fork and watched as Mariah slowly pulled it back out. She chewed the mouthful, letting the hot sauce tickle her taste buds. "That's really good Mariah."

"I know," Mariah winked at Tessa and laughed softly. She picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite of the crunchy meat. "Mmmm, so good," she said once her mouth was empty.

Damn, just watching her eat turns me on. Tessa forced herself to look down at her plate and tried to concentrate on eating her breakfast.

"How are your eggs?" Mariah asked. Tessa didn't look up from her plate or verbalize an answer, she just gave Mariah a thumbs up and kept eating. She must be really hungry Mariah surmised so she decided to let her eat in peace.

Their waiter stopped by to top off their coffee and ask how everything was.

Tessa finally looked up from her plate to thank him for the top off and say everything was great on behalf of both of them because Mariah had a bite in her mouth. She accidentally looked over at her and instantly felt warmth flush her face as Mariah's tongue flicked out to capture some hot sauce from her lip. Her mouth fell open slightly and her breathing slowed.

"Tessa? You okay?" Mariah asked the dark haired woman who seemed to have zoned out after their waiter left.

Tessa shook her head to bring herself out of her trance, "Sorry, I'm fine." She looked down at her plate once again and continued eating.

"Babe, what's going on? Why are you avoiding looking at me?" Mariah called Tessa out on her strange behavior.

"I'm not," Tessa mumbled, still refusing to look in Mariah's direction.

"Tessa. Look at me," Mariah commanded in a tone that said she meant business.

Fuck, she's so hot when she's bossy. Tessa looked at Mariah, revealing the lust she was feeling for the redhead in this moment.

"Oh," Mariah squeaked out as the lust in Tessa's eyes registered with her. Suddenly her mouth was as dry as a desert. She picked up her glass of water and pretty much chugged the whole thing down.

Tessa's eyes dilated and her mouth hung open slightly as she watched Mariah gulp down her glass of water. It's like she's intentionally trying to kill me, Tessa thought as she tugged at the collar of her shirt. "Mariah," Tessa breathed out a mere whisper of intense need.

"Be right back," Mariah said as she quickly got up and headed to the cashier. "Excuse me, could I pay for our meal now? Her flight is leaving earlier than scheduled," Mariah told a tiny white lie to the cashier.

"Of course," the cashier said before looking through a short stack of tags to find theirs. Mariah handed the woman her credit card. Mariah made sure to leave a generous tip, then hurried back to the table.

"Let's go babe," Mariah said to Tessa as she grabbed her coat.

Tessa didn't ask any questions, she just grabbed her jacket and bag then followed Mariah out of the restaurant. Her lover stopped just outside the restaurant to scan the area before motioning for Tessa to follow her. Tessa trailed behind Mariah, thoroughly enjoying the view.

Mariah stopped outside the entrance to the women's restroom and turned to Tessa, "Just follow my lead, okay?"

"Okay," Tessa agreed without hesitation.

They were in luck because no one was in the bathroom when they entered. Mariah quickly moved to the most secluded stall she could find and took a peek inside to make sure it was clean. After determining it was, she motioned for Tessa to go in and she followed behind her. She locked the door and placed Tessa's bag against it which blocked the open area beneath the door.

Tessa hung their jackets on the hook on the back of the door then drew Mariah into her arms. She leaned down to capture her lips in a fierce kiss. Mariah eagerly returned her kiss and started undoing her pants. Tessa reached down to unfasten Mariah's pants as well. Their current situation didn't afford them the luxury of time for any kind of foreplay, they needed to get right to it. She slid her hand into Mariah's underwear at the same moment Mariah's hand slid into hers.

Their fingers zeroed in on each other's pleasure buttons instantaneously, rubbing with purposeful intent. Their tongues swirled wildly around each other, a frenzy building in both women as they neared release. They came together, muffling their joyous cries with the other's mouth.

"That was hot," Mariah whispered softly into Tessa's ear as she withdrew her hand from her lover's panties. She was unable to resist sucking Tessa's juices off her fingers.

Tessa smiled at the adorable redhead in front of her, slowly sliding her hand out of her undies. "Very hot," she said softly before licking Mariah's juices off her digits.

They refastened their pants, paused to listen for sounds that would indicate if anyone else was in the bathroom then Mariah slipped out of the stall and into the one next to it. The women cleaned up then met each other at the sinks to wash up. They were both rinsing off their lathered up hands when two women in their forties walked in. The women nodded at the couple in acknowledgement before disappearing into stalls. Tessa and Mariah looked at each other and chuckled quietly.

"We should be able to check you in now," Mariah said to Tessa once they exited the restroom.

"Yes. Shall we?" Tessa held her free hand out to Mariah who happily accepted it. She gave the redhead a chaste kiss on the cheek before walking in the direction of the ticket counter.

Everything went smoothly with Tessa's check in, her flight was happening and on schedule. They still had about an hour before they needed to get to Tessa's gate so they strolled around the airport hand in hand, popping into a shop every now and then to peruse the wares for sale. The two women continued getting to know one another but kept the conversation light. When they arrived at Tessa's gate, a quiet calm had settled over them. Neither woman wanted to think about their impending separation, refusing to let these thoughts take hold. They both smiled brightly, perhaps a little too brightly to be believable, at Steve when he saw them and waved.

"Did Tessa convince you to come to Rome with her?" Steve asked Mariah as she greeted him with a hug.

"She tried but nope. My flight was cancelled so I'm booked on a later one," Mariah said as a bit of sadness crept into her voice.

"Too bad, it would have been nice having you there," Steve told his friend.

"Do you know where Jenna is?" Tessa asked Steve after scanning the area.

"Right behind you," Steve smiled at Tessa as he nodded his head in Jenna's direction.

Tessa spun around to see Jenna walking toward them with two coffees in her hand.

"Hi Tessa. Hi Mariah," Jenna greeted the women once she was within earshot. "Did you miss your flight or something?" she asked Mariah.

"Or something. It was cancelled because the entire crew called in sick," Mariah told her friend. "Catching a later flight."

"The whole crew? Haven't heard that one before," Jenna chuckled softly. "You going to hang here until we board?"

"Yes and I will try not to cause a scene when I say goodbye to this one," Mariah said as she squeezed Tessa's hand.

"I, on the other hand, can't make the same promise," Tessa said before lifting Mariah's hand to her lips and kissing it lovingly. She returned her attention to Jenna before speaking, "Do you have a few minutes? I need to run something by you."

"Sure. Come with me so I can give Dan his coffee," Jenna nodded her head in the direction of where Dan was waiting for her.

"Cool. You coming?" Tessa asked Mariah.

"You go ahead, I want to talk to Steve for a few minutes. I'll come find you when I'm done," Mariah gave Tessa a peck on the cheek before releasing her lover's hand.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Steve asked Mariah after Tessa and Jenna were out of earshot.

"I'm hoping you'll do me a favor and look after Tessa for the next week, make sure she doesn't get too sad and actually enjoys this amazing experience. Like, don't let her bail on after parties and invite her to explore the cities with you during your downtime. Would you do that for me? Please," Mariah hoped she wasn't asking too much of her friend but she was worried Tessa was going to mope around because she missed her. She knew she would miss Tessa like crazy but she had made a promise to herself to fully embrace this trip and explore as much of Europe as she could during her limited time here. And even meeting the most incredible person on the planet wasn't going to change that. Besides, doesn't the saying go 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'?

"Of course I will Mariah. I'd do anything for you. Well, maybe not kill someone but never say never," Steve laughed at his own joke. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Steve, don't share this with Melissa yet because I'm going to reach out and tell her when I get to my hotel in Lisbon. I've fallen in love with Tessa. And, she's in love with me too. I know it's fast and we barely know each other which definitely factored into my decision to not change my travel plans and go to Italy with her. I need time to examine my feelings and distance from her hotness to get to know her better," Mariah shared her thoughts on the subject with Steve.

"Wow. It's obvious you are both really into each other but I wasn't expecting love to enter the picture so soon. But, I'm very happy for you Mariah. Falling in love for the first time can be an intense experience so it's a good call to examine your feelings. I promise I'll do my best to keep your girl from slipping into a dark funk," Steve assured his good friend before pulling her into his arms for a deep hug. "And, I'm stoked to hear you're going to call Melissa later because she has been asking nonstop questions about you and Tessa since Tanner sent her that video and it's getting harder to be vague with my answers."

"Thanks Steve. You're a great friend. I really appreciate it," Mariah smiled at her mustached comrade before slinging an arm around his waist and heading over to where Tessa and the others were sitting.


	20. Chapter 20

"It'll be 9pm for me but 10pm for you. Will that be too late?" Mariah asked Tessa.

"Not at all. I'll just go to sleep as soon as we get to the hotel and set a wake up call for 9:45pm," Tessa replied.

"Baby, don't you want to take in some sights? I hate to think of you alone in your room when you could be out enjoying yourself," Mariah said with concern.

"I have all of tomorrow to do that and for some reason I haven't gotten a lot of sleep the last couple of nights," Tessa smirked and winked at Mariah.

"Sorry, not sorry about that. At least have dinner with the others. For me?" Mariah gave Tessa her best puppy dog eyes with the hope she would agree.

"Okay, I'll do it for you," Tessa smiled and pressed her lips to Mariah's softly. "I am really going to miss these," she said as she ran the tip of her finger along Mariah's supple lips.

"I'm going to miss having your arms wrapped around me while I sleep," Mariah said sadly. "Okay, we both need to stop being sad. You're going to Italy and I'm going to Portugal, we should both be super excited to explore places we've never been before," Mariah forced herself to sound more cheerful than she felt for Tessa's benefit. "We'll take pictures to send to each other so it will be sort of like we are experiencing things together. We'll video chat every day and before you know it, a week will have passed and we'll be together again."

"It won't be the same as having you there with me but I will try to have fun just the same. I can't promise I won't get sad sometimes though," Tessa traced circles on the palm of Mariah's hand with her thumb.

"All I can ask is for you to try. And, I know I'll get sad sometimes too," Mariah admitted to her lover. "I brought a notebook with me intending to write about my trip while on planes, trains and buses. Now that I've met you it may end up being more of a journal than a documentation of the trip. If you'd like, you can read it when we meet again," Mariah offered.

"I would like that," Tessa replied softly. "I might have something similar for you to read as well," she caressed Mariah's cheek before leaning in to kiss her. Just as she ended the kiss, initial boarding for her flight was announced over the loudspeaker. She sighed with disappointment and pulled Mariah in for another kiss.

"I should say my goodbyes to Jenna and the guys now," Mariah said after Tessa's lips left hers.

Tessa nodded slowly and watched Mariah walk over to where the others were seated. She pulled her phone out and typed a text to Mariah but didn't send it. She put it away when she saw Mariah walking back to her.

Mariah sat down next to Tessa and took both her hands in her own. "I'm going to miss you so much. I'll be thinking about you often and counting the hours until we are together again. I love you Tessa," Mariah looked deep into Tessa's eyes as she spoke.

"I love you Mariah. Please be safe, I couldn't bear it if something happened to you," Tessa searched Mariah's eyes for assurance. They had only just found each other and she knew Mariah could take care of herself but she worried about the safety of her traveling alone just the same.

"I will. I'm a tough chick who doesn't suffer fools easily," Mariah brought Tessa's hand to her mouth and placed a loving kiss on her knuckles. She pulled Tessa into her arms for a deep hug. They embraced until it was time for Tessa to board. Mariah pulled away from her lover and walked with her to the end of the small queue of people waiting to board. They shared one last kiss before Tessa handed the agent her boarding pass. Mariah watched her love disappear as she walked down the gangway.

Tessa held it together until she took her seat next to Steve on the plane and then she burst into tears.

"Tessa, please don't be sad. Mariah doesn't want that for you and neither do I. What can I do to help cheer you up?" Steve put his hand on Tessa's arm in a comforting gesture.

Tessa handed Steve her phone and between sobs choked out, "Hit send."

Steve looked at the screen and saw a text to Mariah all ready to go. He smiled when he read it and hit send. "Done. Anything else I can do?" Tessa's phone pinged as he was handing it back. He glanced at the screen to see a text from Mariah. "She replied. Here," Steve tried placing the phone in Tessa's hand but she pushed it away.

"Would you read it to me? Please," Tessa looked at a blurry Steve as tears continued flowing freely from her eyes.

"Of course," Steve said as he opened the message. "I love you too Tessa. Have a safe flight. Until 10 my sweet. And then there are like twenty kissy face emojis," Steve said with a laugh.

"Thanks Steve," Tessa sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. "Will you tell me about the Mariah you know? All indications point to her being an awesome person and friend but I'd love to hear some specifics if you feel comfortable talking to me about her," Tessa asked Steve after accepting her phone back from him. She quickly sent a follow up text to Mariah containing a heart and several kissy face emojis.

"I'd love to tell you about Mariah who is very much awesome," Steve smiled at the teary eyed musician seated beside him. "I'll start with the night we first met."

******************************************

Mariah stood a the window staring at the plane Tessa had just boarded, repeating 'Do not cry' in her head over and over. She heard her phone ping, pulled it from her bag and looked at the screen. Her lips curved into a smile when she saw it was a text from Tessa. She chuckled after reading the first line, 'I hate to see you go but I love watching you walk away;)'. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she read the rest of the text message, 'On a more serious note, I love you Mariah. I miss you already but will try to enjoy myself until we speak tonight. Safe travels.' She typed a reply and sent it before reluctantly turning away from the window to make her way to her gate.

When she arrived at her gate, she found an empty seat and sat down. It would probably be another twenty minutes before her flight started boarding so she took advantage of the time and sent some emails to friends and family back home. First one was to Melissa to see if she was free for a video chat that evening an hour before she was going to connect with Tessa. Second one was to her mother to let her know she was well and to apologize for not contacting her sooner. She mentioned she met someone special but didn't go into any more details for now. Next she sent one to her other roommate Kay to thank her for taking care of Monkey and to let her know she was getting ALO setlists for her. Last but not least, she emailed her little sister Faith and attached a selfie of her standing outside the concert venue in London. The loudspeaker crackled to life to announce her flight was boarding.

She was the first in her row of seats to arrive so it was easy to get to her window seat. A few minutes later, a pleasant seeming man took the seat next to her. Once they were in the air and able to turn their devices on again, Mariah and the man seated next to her both pulled out their phones. She was scrolling through the pictures of her and Tessa when she felt the waterworks about to begin. She reached into her bag for a packet of tissues to wipe her eyes. A short time later, she noticed the man next to her was crying as well. She held the packet of tissues out to him with a small smile on her face. He accepted a tissue with a small smile of his own and thanked her.

Mariah introduced herself to the man whose name was Fernando and the two of them started talking. Fernando is Portuguese and lives in Lisbon. He was fairly fluent in English so there wasn't much of a language barrier. Turns out they were both crying because they had just left the women they loved. And, both of those women were singers. Fernando told Mariah all about his girlfriend Dilly who lives in London and is a jazz singer. The two of them had just been vacationing together for a week in Venice for Carnivale. Mariah told Fernando about meeting Tessa and falling hard for her. It was nice for both of them to have someone to talk to about their sadness over being separated from their lovers.

Fernando didn't have anywhere he needed to be once their flight arrived so he suggested the two of them share a cab to the city center and he would take her to his favorite coffee house. Mariah happily agreed, having a local to show her around a little would be nice.

Once they were in the cab, Fernando suggested they go to a music store near the coffee house first since they were both music lovers. Mariah readily accepted the offer. Fernando was like a kid in a candy store when they arrived. He excitedly had her listen to different music that moved him and Mariah found it all to be very beautiful. After spending about an hour at the music store, they walked to the coffee house along cobblestone streets in a very light rain. Mariah was finding Lisbon to be quite enchanting. Over a cup of some damn good coffee, Fernando showed Mariah pictures from his trip. The costumes and masks were highly detailed and beautifully crafted. And his girlfriend Dilly was adorable, the two of them looked so happy together. They exchanged email addresses so they could stay in touch.

When they finished their coffee, Fernando insisted on walking Mariah to the train station and helped her buy the ticket she would need to take her to the hotel. They took selfies together on their phones then said their goodbyes. On the train ride along the water Mariah saw a bridge that looked very much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. She made a mental note to check it out up close before leaving Portugal.

She was stoked when she entered her room at the hotel. It was about ten times the size of the one she had in London which was very nice considering she would actually be staying in this one. She had some time before her call with Mel so she decided to get some dinner. Cesar, the front desk clerk on duty, directed her to a nearby area with plenty of sit down and take away restaurants to choose from. She decided on take away from a deli and ended up with a fairly scrumptious ham and cheese sandwich that she enjoyed back in her hotel room. She set up her tablet on a small table facing an oversize chair then sat down and called Melissa.

"Hey there stranger! It's good to see you," Melissa said cheerfully when Mariah's face popped up on her screen.

"So good to see you Mel. How's everything going at home?" Mariah asked her friend, a wide smile adorning her face.

"Everything's fine, everyone's fine. Now that we got that out of the way, let's get to the interesting topic of you making out with Tessa," Melissa smirked into the camera and arched an eyebrow.

"Okay. Let me start by apologizing for not being the one to tell you but in my defense, I didn't know Tanner was recording us or that he sent the recording to you until I got your text about it. And, my apologies for taking so long to reach out to set up this call. I was very distracted spending all my time with Tessa," Mariah paused to take a sip of water.

"All your time? So, what I saw was more than a drunken make out at a show?" Mel inquired curiously.

"Much more. What all has Steve told you?" Mariah asked her friend.

"Hardly anything despite my best efforts to weasel info from him. He wanted to respect your privacy and let you tell me about it but I am dying to know everything," Melissa said before bringing her bong into view and taking a rip.

"That was really sweet of him considering we robbed him of sleep in London. You've got yourself a great guy Mel," Mariah adjusted the position of her tablet so she could get more comfortable in the chair.

"Robbed him of sleep? You're killing me here Mariah, please stop teasing and give me the details," Melissa snuggled under the blanket she had draped over her and leaned back deeper into the couch.

"Okay, okay. Sorry," Mariah winked at Mel. "So, it all began when Tessa took the stage the night of the first show of the tour. When the stage lights lit her up I was instantly captivated by her. It was as if time stood still and I couldn't look away. And, moments into the first song of her set she noticed me and pretty much never took her eyes off me the entire time she played. That flustered and excited me which didn't go unnoticed by Tanner and Emily who couldn't resist teasing me about it. When her set ended, she winked at me before leaving the stage and I'm quite certain I turned beet red. Just after ALO took the stage, Tessa magically appeared by my side and introduced herself. She was flirting with me right out of the gate and without even realizing I was doing it at first, I flirted back which really threw me for a loop. We both started dancing when ALO began playing and I found myself drinking in her beauty while she was engrossed with Zach's expertise on the keys. She caught me staring at her and moved so she was dancing with me instead of next to me. This continued for the first few songs they played and then a little awkwardness set in when they started playing 'Girl'. Tessa ended the awkwardness when she drew me into her arms to slow dance with her. Feeling her body pressed against mine lit me on fire and before I knew it, I was singing the song to her. By the time I finished the second chorus it was clear Tessa wanted to kiss me and I wanted her to kiss me. She leaned down and gently pressed her lips to mine causing me to moan in response. She kissed me again and I parted my lips to invite her inside. Our tongues tangled and our hands were all over each other. We finally ended our make out session when Tanner interrupted us to point out that the band was staring at us. After ALO's set ended Steve asked us all to come to their dressing room to smoke a joint. That's where I found out Tanner had filmed the two of us making out because he showed the video to Jenna. Thankfully, I was able to get the guys to stop teasing me so I could just enjoy the closeness I was feeling with Tessa. Once we returned to the venue floor, I got your text and it came to light that Tessa was the first woman I had ever made out with. This led to an honest discussion between the two of us. Tessa wanted to make sure she wasn't pressuring me into anything I didn't want but she was very clear about how much she wanted me. I assured her I wasn't feeling at all pressured and that I really wanted her too. In fact, I suggested going to her dressing room to have sex right then but thankfully she wouldn't allow that. She was adamant that my first time with a woman not be a quickie in a dressing room. When the show ended, we went to the after party backstage for a while before going to her hotel room. What happened when we got there was something I had never imagined. I had never wanted someone as much as I wanted her. And the sex was, my god Mel, it was incredible. Hands down, the best sex of my life. I had no idea sex could be that fulfilling. I spent the night with her arms wrapped around me. We went sightseeing with Tanner and Emily the next day and had a wonderful time. I checked out of my hotel when we got back and brought my stuff to Tessa's room so we could spend as much time together as possible before going our separate ways. We did end up having sex in her dressing room after her set that night and it was super hot as well as emotionally eye opening because we both revealed we were developing romantic feelings for each other afterward. A little later is when I found out that Steve was staying in the room right next to Tessa's and had heard us having sex when he repeated what I had cried out one of the times Tessa made me come," Mariah paused her story to take another sip of water and let Mel's laughter die down.

"Payback is a bitch Mariah," Melissa said once she stopped laughing.

"I know, I totally deserved it. Anyway, we ducked out during Jack's set and made love for the first time when we got back to the hotel. And, we declared our love for one another before, during and after. I know it's fast but we both felt it. At least, we both think it's love but since neither one of us has been in love before we can't be certain. What I am certain of is I want to keep seeing her and I already can't imagine her not being in my life for the rest of my days. She tried to persuade me to join her in Italy instead of coming to Portugal but I resisted despite my heart's protest. I feel like I need this week apart to truly examine my feelings for her without being distracted by her sexiness. Your thoughts on the matter?" Mariah asked as she shifted her position in the chair. Melissa had just taken another bong rip so she knew it would be a minute before Mel responded. She used that time to pull up the picture of Tessa and herself on the bridge with Tessa's arms wrapped around her from behind and forward it to Melissa. She heard Mel's phone ping a few moments later and watched her best friend look at it then smile.

"I have so many thoughts about this but let me start with I've never seen you look happier than you do in this picture. And I don't know Tessa at all but she looks pretty damn happy in the picture as well. Now, if you were just interested in a casual hook up, I'd tell you to get some and have fun. But love is a whole different story, especially when it's the first time. So, I'm going to point out a few things but please know I don't mean to be discouraging in any way. More of food for thought from someone who has been in love more than a few times. First, having the best sex of your life can sometimes give the illusion of love. Have you considered that?" Mel asked Mariah before patting the spot on the couch next to her with her hand. Monkey jumped up and crawled into her lap, snuggling into the blanket.

"Monkey!" Mariah said excitedly when she saw her little man jump into Melissa's lap. His little head swiveled toward the screen but her waving just seemed to confuse him so he tucked his head into the blanket and went to sleep. "Figures," Mariah just shook her head and Melissa laughed. "To answer your question, yes I've considered it and the jury is still out on that. This week apart should help to answer that definitively. But, I honestly don't think that's the case because even though I want her like I've never wanted another in my life, I also love spending time with her, learning more about her and I've never felt so safe with another person as I do with her," Mariah replied honestly as a very small part of her was concerned about the possibility.

"Okay, your answer actually leads in nicely to my next question. Have you considered that women tend to be more open to emotional intimacy than men? At least early on," Melissa rubbed Monkey's little head as he slept.

"No, I haven't. Hold on a second, adding that to my list," Mariah reached onto the nightstand and grabbed her notebook. She flipped it open and jotted down Melissa's question with the others she already had written in there. "I don't know if I've ever asked you this before but have you ever been with a woman or even been attracted to one?"

"Well, you know how I am when I drink so I've definitely made out with a handful of women but never anything more than that. Can't say I've ever been sexually attracted to a woman either. Had you ever been attracted to a woman before Tessa?" Mel leaned forward to grab the bong and lighter off the coffee table, careful not to disturb the orange ball of fur sleeping in her lap.

"No, never. I was taken completely by surprise but the weird thing is, it felt totally natural right away like I'd always been into women," Mariah wondered if she would have been instantly open to the idea a year ago.

"So, those were the two main questions I wanted to make sure you considered. I have one or two other things to go over but I am at a point in my highness where I need to know what sex with a woman is like. And please, spare no detail because it's going to be another couple of weeks before I'm with Steve again," Melissa took one last hit off the bong and settled back to listen to Mariah's sexcapades.


	21. Chapter 21

"Hey sis, so good to see your face!" Crystal smiled wide at the image of Tessa on her computer screen.

"Hi Crys! How are you doing?" Tessa grinned at her little sister as she lounged on the sofa in her hotel room.

"I'm good but you look great. You have a glow I've never seen before. The tour must be going fantastically," Crystal took a sip from the mug of hot chocolate she was holding.

"Tour is great so far, played two shows in London and now I'm in Rome. But the glow you mentioned isn't because of that. I met someone in London Crystal, and I'm in love with her," Tessa confessed to her sister.

Crystal was quite glad she had set her mug down before Tessa told her she was in love otherwise she definitely would have dropped it in shock. Tessa had never been in love before and she had almost no experience being with just one person at a time. On the other hand, she knew her sister longed to find just one person to love forever so this was a pretty big deal. "Wow Tessa. I'm really happy for you. Tell me everything," Crystal urged her big sis to share with her.

"Her name is Mariah and she has the most beautiful mane of red hair - you know what, let me send you a pic of the two of us," Tessa pulled up one of the pictures on her phone and sent it to Crystal. "So, she was front and center at the first show and I was instantly captivated by her. I couldn't take my eyes off of her for pretty much my whole set. After my set, I sought her out and introduced myself. We danced together to the first few fast songs ALO played and then I pulled her into my arms to slow dance to a love ballad. She started singing the song to me while we danced and finally I couldn't take it anymore so I kissed her. And she kissed me back, passionately. We only stopped making out because her friend Tanner alerted us to the fact that the band was staring at us. As it happens, she is good friends with the band who invited all of us back to their dressing room after their set ended. I met her friends Tanner and Emily who are also friends with ALO and we all went backstage. The guys all teased Mariah about me a little when we first arrived but then they dropped it. I found out later the teasing was mostly because I'm the first woman Mariah has shown any interest in. Until she met me, she thought she was straight. We spent the night together in my hotel room and Crys, I've had some great sex in my time but sex with Mariah was on another level. And it was her first time with a woman but she took to it like a fish to water. We went sightseeing with Tanner and Emily the next day and had a great time. That pic I sent you is from that day. After my set that night we both admitted we were starting to have romantic feelings for each other and back at my hotel room after the show we declared our love for one another. It scared us both because neither of us has been in love before but at the same time we embraced it. We spent that night together as well but now we are going to be apart for the next week and that makes me so sad," Tessa was glad she had the kind of relationship with Crystal where they could talk to each other about anything.

"Damn, you've fallen hard Tess. So, if she's friends with the band why won't you see each other for a week?" Crystal tucked her legs under a blanket as she got more comfortable on the couch.

"She's doing a six week backpacking around Europe adventure that was already planned before the tour was set. She moved some things around to make it to quite a few shows but the next couple didn't make the cut. She's in Portugal now and heads to Spain in a couple of days. The next time we'll see each other is at the show in Barcelona. I tried to talk her into changing her plans and coming with me but struck out," Tessa admitted.

"Ouch, that must have hurt. Women are usually putty in your hands. Is my big sister losing her touch?" Crystal teased Tessa.

"Maybe. Or maybe I've met my match and I like that even if I didn't get my way. Mariah is like no one else I've ever met. She's warm and generous, a real people person. She's also strong willed and fiercely independent. She was all set to be completely on her own for this trip. The crossover with ALO and some of her other friends just happened organically. Her zest for life is a breath of fresh air and completely contagious. She's thoughtful and funny and so very sexy," Tessa couldn't hide the adoration she felt for Mariah.

"I'm very much looking forward to meeting the woman who has you so enamored. How long until you write a love ballad about her?" Crystal asked.

"I'm fairly certain I already have. You know my song 'If You're Not Busy'?" Tessa glanced at the time.

"Of course, it's the one about the partner you hope to meet some day. Wait a minute, are you saying Mariah is that partner?" Crystal moved closer to the screen.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she is Crys and to be completely honest it kind of scares the shit out of me. Like, what if I fuck everything up because I've never been in a committed monogamous relationship before? What if she decides she isn't really in love with me while we are apart and tells me she just wants to be friends? What if-?" Tessa's rant was cut off by her sister before she could spiral completely out of control.

"What if she does love you and that love only grows stronger each day that passes and the two of you live happily ever after? What if you're perfect for each other and she's lucky enough to have you all to herself? What if you finally get everything you deserve?" Crystal hoped her words were helping to ease Tessa's fears. "Don't be afraid to be in a happy healthy relationship sis. You have so much love to give and your loyalty knows no limits."

"Thanks Crys, I needed that. I must sound like a lunatic. Is this how it always feels to be in love?" Tessa sighed heavily.

"Pretty much. Being in love brings your emotions to the surface and they strive to override common sense and logic," Crystal shared with her sister. "You just have to try and keep them in check by texting your little sister when you start to freak out so she can help ground you again."

"Careful with what you say, you might just find your phone blowing up all the time," Tessa laughed softly, only half joking.

"Bring it on, I got you Tess. Do you know how long I've been waiting for a chance to pay you back for all you've done for me? If you hadn't taken me with you when you left, who knows what would have happened but I know none of it would have been good. Tessa, you're my fucking hero and you always will be. I will never be able to thank you enough for everything you sacrificed to protect me," Crystal started to tear up as she spoke. When she thinks about all the truly horrific things that could have happened to her without her sister's protection, she couldn't be more grateful to have Tessa for a sister.

"You don't need to thank me Crys, I'd never leave my ride or die. Besides, I'm going to need someone to take care of me if this music thing doesn't work out," Tessa winked at Crystal attempting to lighten the mood.

"Got it, you've reached your limit of talking about feelings. So, tell me about the shows and London," Crystal steered the conversation away from the deep pool they had been in.

"Happily. I've got like fifteen more minutes before Mariah calls me," Tessa quickly checked the time again. "I played first at the opening show to a small but lively crowd," Tessa smiled as she flashed back to the moment she first laid eyes on Mariah.

*************************************************

"Hi babe! You look great. How was your day?" Mariah smiled with genuine affection at her lover when her beautiful face appeared on her tablet.

"Hi gorgeous, god how I've missed you. My day was good, got in a nice long nap when we got to the hotel then had dinner with Jenna and the guys. How about you, what did you do today?" Tessa had her tablet resting on her knees as she sat with her legs bent and her back resting against the headboard of the bed. It looked like Mariah was mirroring her which made Tessa's smile widen.

"I miss you too Tessa," Mariah said softly before telling Tessa about her day. She thought she saw Tessa frown when she mentioned spending time with Fernando after their flight arrived but it was gone so quickly she wrote it off to a glitch in their connection. "So, how was dinner? I'm assuming you had Italian food," Mariah watched Tessa tuck a lock of hair behind her ear and wished she were there to draw Tessa's exposed lobe into her mouth.

"Yes, Italian and it was so good. I ate way too much, as did everyone else," Tessa laughed as she recalled the pained looks everyone had when they finally left the table.

"I'll bet. Italian food is one of my favorites back home but I'm sure it's so much better in Italy," Mariah was looking forward to doing a lot of eating when she was in Italy.

"It definitely is. I'm glad I overdid it tonight so I won't tomorrow. Nothing worse than performing when you're that uncomfortable," Tessa had made that mistake before and wasn't looking to repeat it.

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like fun at all. What's on your agenda for tomorrow before the show?" Mariah reached behind her to reposition the pillow she had between the headboard and her back.

"Not entirely sure, Jenna has a day of sightseeing planned for us. I'm meeting everyone in the lobby at 9am so I guess I'll find out then. What are your plans for tomorrow?" Tessa let the sheet she had draped over herself drop because she was too warm.

"Nothing set in stone, just going to explore. Oh, I am going to get up close and personal with a bridge that looks like the Golden Gate if I can. I'll take a bunch of pictures for you," Mariah promised.

"Cool, looking forward to seeing them. So, I know we haven't been apart that long but I was wondering if you've made any progress on your career search?" Tessa repositioned her tablet after laying down on the bed.

"Good question. No flashes of inspiration yet but I have ruled something out," Mariah followed Tessa's lead and laid down on the bed as well.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Tessa asked curiously.

"Flight attendant. As cool as it would be to fly all over the world, I'm quite sure I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue with rude passengers," Mariah smirked.

"I hear you on that," Tessa laughed. "I'd like to help you figure this out if I can. Since being separated from the all encompassing distraction of your hotness, I've been feeling real guilty about taking your focus from the main purpose of your trip. I know you're working at your mom's coffee house now and that you co-hosted a local tv show before that. Why don't you tell me what you like and don't like about each of those jobs?" Tessa asked her lover.

"First, you have nothing to feel guilty about Tessa. I'm an adult and I make my own decisions. I have zero regrets about our time together and I haven't completely ruled out the porn option," Mariah laughed softly and grinned widely when Tessa gave her a suggestive look. "As for your question, I'll start with the coffee house. I like the customer service aspect of it, getting to know the regulars and meeting new people every day. I like the flexibility but am aware it's only because my mom is the boss. The pay, even with tips, isn't going to buy me a house someday so that's a down side. I don't like that working there doesn't challenge me. Not a huge fan of wearing an apron and having to pull my hair back. The co-hosting job could be really fun sometimes but incredibly aggravating other times. Obviously, I enjoy talking and am not shy about giving my opinion so being able to do that for my job was great. I got to meet new people regularly and travel within the state for location shoots. I enjoyed the challenge of making a segment entertaining and even liked the research aspect of the job. I liked all of my co-workers except my boss. She went out of her way to sabotage me from the very beginning. I got used to that and was usually able to let it go but when I started dating her ex-husband, she started going too far. She also had a tendency to go the tabloid journalism route in order to grab higher ratings. A lot of the time, she would hurt people I cared about with her gotcha stories. One day I was just over it and I quit on the spot," Mariah realized in that moment that if Hilary weren't the host of GC Buzz and salacious gossip wasn't involved, she could very well see herself co-hosting or hosting a show long term.

"You became very animated when you talked about the co-hosting job and it sounds like it was fulfilling to you. Had your boss not been a factor, could you have seen yourself doing that as a career?" Tessa asked.

"Yeah. Funny you should ask that because it's exactly what I was just thinking. Thanks Tessa, I'm definitely going to think more about that and put it on my maybe list," Mariah smiled affectionately at the observant woman she was falling hard for. Or, had already fallen for, she mused.

"Have you already started? Should I let you go?" Tessa asked after Mariah fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.

"Sorry, lost in thought but not about my career," Mariah replied softly.

"What about?" Tessa asked, backpedaling when she saw how uncomfortable Mariah looked when she posed the question. "Don't worry about it, none of my business. Just forget I asked."

"It's okay Tessa, I was thinking about you. Seems you're my favorite thought to have," Mariah smiled seductively at the dark haired beauty.

"Is that so? What were you thinking exactly?" Tessa licked her lips as her pulse started racing. How Mariah could get her worked up so quickly on a video call was impressive, exciting and terrifying.


End file.
